The Sickness
by paige morgan
Summary: Something sinister is plaguing feudal Japan and it will force Inuyasha and Kagome together in ways they didn't expect. Can they escape the sickness?
1. Reminiscing and a Strange Smell

**Summary:**** After a troubling visit to a village far away, strange and mysterious things begin to happen to Inuyasha and the others. When the disturbing truth is discovered, the group begins a dangerous journey in order to save the life of their friend. Can they escape the sickness?**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Inuyasha or any other related titles or logos.**

**Hey guys! I just want to start out by saying that this is the REWRITTEN version of 'The Sickness'. I left this story untouched for a very long time, and my writing improved, so I decided to revise this story and repost it. Thanks for all the returning readers and all the reviews and support this story got, and to all you new readers: I hope you enjoy my story 'The Sickness'! Please review!**

**The Sickness**

**Chapter One: Reminiscing and a Strange Smell**

Kagome sighed for the seventh time that morning, causing Inuyasha's ears to twitch in annoyance atop his head. The raven-haired girl knew she was practically asking to be chewed out by the irritable half-demon for her less-than-perfect mood, but it just _wasn't_ her day. The sun beat mercilessly on her back, causing her to sweat uncomfortably, her large yellow backpack was slung over her shoulder weighing her down like a ton of bricks, and her feet were aching from hauling around all of their supplies. Surprisingly, Kagome wasn't irritable with the cranky half-demon. She was just having some minor pains and wishing more than anything that she could be at home in her air-conditioned, comfortable, familiar room, instead of treading the dusty old path back to Kaede's village.

Their last mission had taken them far to the east to a village resting at the base of a lush, misty mountain. It had taken four days of constant travel to arrive and even _longer_ to get back, considering all the demons they'd encountered. Although the demons they had come across had indeed been troublesome, nothing was more disturbing than what had awaited them at the village. Kagome cringed to even imagine it. They'd originally gone to the village to hunt down several jewel shards under the protection of a priest. Unfortunately, they'd arrived too late.

The pungent stench of blood had washed over them before they'd ever even reached the village gates. Even the humans in the group could smell its coppery scent polluting the clean forest air. They'd approached cautiously, carefully, caught off guard by the carnage lying beyond the doors. They had never expected there to be blood or death or the horrible demonic aura that had been thick in the air like smoke, choking them. They had stood before the gates for a moment, readying themselves for whatever they would find. Inuyasha had put a clawed hand to the wooden door, pushing it open with a chilling creaking noise.

That's when they saw it. The wreckage. The bodies. The source of the sickening stench of blood in the air. An entire village of people had lain at their feet, their bodies unnaturally contorted and bent, their faces frozen in a mask of horror and despair. Strangely enough, the villagers had no cuts or markings on them of any kind, no external wounds. Their blood had been simply leaking from their eyes and noses and mouths, as if forced out. They had appeared emaciated, their faces gaunt, their hands bone thin, their hair falling out, almost as if they'd been rotting there for weeks, but the bloodshed had been fresh. After the shock and revulsion had worn off, they'd decided to give the villagers a proper burial, but the ground had been stained a deep red, making Inuyasha cringe every time he pushed his shovel into the blood-soaked earth.

It seemed like a disgrace to bury them beneath the tainted ground, but they hadn't had much of a choice. Inuyasha wondered briefly what kind of monster could have made them bleed like that, but he already knew the answer. It was one of Naraku's damned incarnations, it had to be. No ordinary demon could have accomplished such a thing, and the foul smell of him had been on the wind. Kagome had sensed the familiar presence of jewel shards as well; leading all of them to believe their greatest foe had something to do with the whole situation.

Ever since that day Kagome had become introverted and contemplative. She knew her silence was probably annoying Inuyasha, but it couldn't be helped. There were many things on her mind. For example, how she realized how naïve she'd been. Before, she'd been a carefree girl, happy to travel the countryside of the past with her half-dog-demon crush. But she'd only been fooling herself. She was now looking at things as they really were, and she found herself suffocated by the pain that surrounded her everywhere.

Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Inuyasha had all suffered great tragedies in their lifetimes. Kagome was the only one who had thus far been spared. All she could do was try to be strong for them, but at the same time she felt like she had no right to even pretend like she knew what they were going through. She had always felt this way in the feudal era. She was a trespasser, an anomaly of time. She lived her cushy lifestyle on the other side of the well, while others starved and froze to death. And looking upon that massacred village…well, she couldn't even begin to fathom what had been going through those villagers' minds as their bodies were brutally and unnaturally destroyed.

She'd always been able to find the bright side of things, but for now, they eluded her. She just couldn't take it anymore. War, famine, starvation, death. In the feudal era, it was an everyday part of life. But things like that didn't happen in Kagome's time, at least not to the extent she'd witnessed in the past. It was one thing learning about it in history class, and another watching it happen first hand. Kagome, who possessed a naturally gentle heart and mild manner, was crumbling under the pressure.

The teenager glanced over at the demon-slayer, Sango, and frowned. The suffering in her eyes was becoming unbearable. Kagome didn't think she'd seen her friend smile a _real_ smile in weeks. She missed her brother. Kagome knew it in her heart, and many times Sango had confessed this to her. When they were alone in the hot springs at night, Sango's strong and proud façade melted into the vulnerable and hurting woman she really was underneath. Kagome would stroke the slayer's back as she sobbed, reaching out for an invisible dream and then curling inward at the pain. And what could she do, or say? Her brother was safe in the modern day era. It would be an insult to tell Sango that she understands how she feels. But at the same time, she could not just sit by idly while her friend slowly broke apart, bit by bit.

Even Miroku's usually lecherous thoughts seemed to be gone, replaced by long hours staring at his cursed hand. He, who had for so long been the voice of calm reason and logic in their group, was now as silent as the trees. She never realized how much hearing his words of assurance helped her, and now that they were gone a fine mist of utter despair hung in the air. Kagome took a quick look around the members of their group. They all looked so…tired, so beaten down.

Shippo and Kilala were both asleep, curled up in the basket attached to Kagome's pink bike. Looking at the fox kit's peaceful face, Kagome wondered what it must be like for someone as young as him to witness something like the massacre they'd seen only a few short days before. It made her heart heavy with sadness. Maybe, being a demon, Shippo wouldn't be affected as negatively as she feared, but demon or not, Shippo was a kind and sensitive young boy. And what could she even do for him? She realized that Shippo had taken a keen liking to her, and perhaps he even thought of her as a sort of replacement mother. But Kagome could no more replace Shippo's real mother than she could replace Kikyo. She had no idea how to meet the needs of a growing fox demon, and she was just as ill equipped to heal the wounds in Inuyasha's heart.

Pushing through the underbrush, the group finally found themselves in the meadow of the Bone Eater's Well. It was like a beacon of happiness, normalcy, and rest for the weary travelers, and a small sense of relief seemed to flood over the group, easing some of their troubled minds. Kagome's mind reeled with thoughts of home, of seeing her brother and grandfather and, most of all, her mother. Kagome jogged lightly over to the half-demon's side.

"Inuyasha," she paused for a yawn, "I think I'm going to head home now…you know, to get some rest and restock our food and supplies and stuff. Is that okay?" she asked tentatively, afraid of his answer. She had become accustomed to Inuyasha's reluctance to let her go back to her own era, but he barely even noticed her question. He appeared lost in his thoughts, just like the rest of them had been.

He grunted, coming to a halt. "I'll take you. Miroku, Sango, you guys head on back to the village." The way he said it was final, so Kagome didn't bother telling him she didn't need him to escort her.

"Come back to us soon, Kagome," Sango called as her and Miroku retreated to the village, wheeling Kagome's bicycle along with them.

The half-demon and the priestess watched their friend's backs as they walked away. When they were out of sight, they approached the well together, before pausing beside it.

Inuyasha's golden gaze was fixated on Kagome's face longingly. He knew she needed to go home and see her family and such, but it was hard to send her over to her time. Whenever she was there, she felt so far away. Strangely, her scent never lingered. The second she vanished down the well, all traces of her presence disappeared. He felt as though he would wake up one day and she would never return, like a dream you can't quite remember. It unsettled him. Kagome shifted uneasily under his scrutiny, feeling unsure of what to do or say. The absolute sorrow that had captured her and her friends was unmoving, and trying to speak was impossible.

"I'll be going now," she said, clearing her throat. "Take care."

Inuyasha nodded and took her hand, helping her over the lip of the well. Her hand slid gently from his as the blue light engulfed her. Before the warm, peaceful feeling of time traveling washed over her, she felt a strange sadness inside at the lost look in the half-demon's eyes as he watched her go. Is that the look that would permanently grace the faces of her friends forever? Would saving the world and defeating Naraku, in the end destroy them like an ultimate sacrifice?

Kagome climbed the ladder and pulled herself out of the well. Stepping into the brilliant sunshine and hearing the noise that permeated the modern day era shook her a bit. There were cars here, and computers, and malls, and elevators, and millions of people talking on cell phones and living their lives normally. Kagome paused, sadness gripping her heart as she suddenly realized: she felt like a trespasser here, too. She could no more relate to the people of her time and her country than she could to the people of the past. Was she nothing more than a bridge between time, destined to die destroying history's ultimate villain?

She entered the house, calling a quick greeting, and dragged herself up the stairs. Weariness was overwhelming her, and she collapsed on her bed without bothering to change her clothes or even take off her shoes.

Her eyes drifted shut, opening the gateway to dreams of lush green forests flooded with crimson water.

**XXX**

Inuyasha walked away from the well with a troubled heart. He had not wanted Kagome to go, not when he was feeling so forlorn. What they had witnessed in the mountain village had been sickening. It wasn't like he'd never seen carnage or bloodshed before, but the mess of bodies and blood that had lain at his feet was enough to make him vomit. It wasn't natural. It was even worse than careless murder. It was darker than even that. He couldn't explain it, but the whole situation gave him an ominous feeling. Warning bells had been going off in his head ever since they'd stepped foot inside that dark place, but he couldn't tell what they were warning him of. He only felt this gripping fear and this desperate kind of panic whenever he looked at Kagome. What could his instincts be telling him? He'd allowed her to go home, because he knew at least there she could be safe.

He also knew that she needed a break. She'd been silent, besides basic communication, since their field trip to the mountains. The hike through the forests had been pleasant enough, but the moment he smelled the copious amounts of blood, he had known that their mission was not going to go as planned. He had tried to prevent Kagome from looking upon the disgraceful scene that awaited them, but she had drunk in the sight like a man dying of thirst. Her soft brown eyes had gone wide with shock and revulsion as she looked over the massacre, before they filled with tears. Inuyasha had come to understand that things like that didn't happen in Kagome's time. Sure, she had seen plenty of bloody battlefields and slaughtered villages since she'd been traveling with him, but nothing of that magnitude. The whole group had been affected by it. It was just so unnatural, unholy. He'd never seen a human's body look like that before. He never wanted to see it again. For any creature, human or demon, to suffer such a fate was inexcusable.

It only angered him more to think that it was all Naraku's doing. That vile bastard had caused more pain and suffering in Inuyasha's life than anyone else. He ripped away Inuyasha's first love and dearest friend, Kikyo. Kikyo, whom he'd been so infatuated with. Kikyo, whom he trusted and who trusted him. Kikyo, who lost her _life_ because Naraku was a sick bastard. No longer anything but a dead body kept alive by her burning hatred for him, Kikyo wandered the land alone and sad. And he'd been trying so very hard to avenge her, and avenge Miroku, and avenge Sango, and avenge the whole damned world, but he always came up short. It was infuriating, and the carnage and bloodshed was only getting worse and worse. He felt weak and useless as he stood by and watched as the lives of everyone around him were ruined to nothing.

Inuyasha ran a hand through his hair roughly in frustration and climbed Goshinboku so he could think. Ever since his last encounter with the dead priestess, he had learned something. He _wasn't_ in love with Kikyo, but she had been his first and closest friend, and he missed her company sorely at times. As strained as their relationship was now, he could never deny that he did care about her. He cared about her in her life, and he cared about her soul in death. He _wanted_ her to find rest and be at peace. They used to sit together in the meadow and talk, and he told her things about himself that nobody knew. She didn't judge him. She understood him. Although he once mistook those things for love, he knew that her friendship had meant a great deal to him, and it had been torn away violently one night.

He still clung to the hope that there might be some of his beloved friend still inside that hollow shell of a body, but no matter what, she was dead. And that's the way it would remain. Inuyasha sighed. Sometimes late at night, when Kagome's presence was gone from his era, he would fleetingly wish that him and Kikyo _could've_ been in love. He wished that they'd never met Onigumo and that they'd gotten married and lived a normal life, even if it meant living a human life. That had been his one and only wish back then, just to be with her. But it had been more than that…he had wanted to be with someone, anyone. He wanted someone to belong to him. Being a half-demon he never had something that really belonged to him, and he yearned for it.

But here he was, no longer in love with Kikyo, hunting down Naraku to avenge himself and her, falling in love with her _reincarnation_. It was all so crazy, but he supposed it was just fate. Although fate had decided to take Kikyo away from him, fate had also delivered Kagome to him. Kagome was warm and kind and strong. She had adopted the members of their group and she cared for each one of them in her special loving way. She had become a friend and sister to Sango, a mother and caregiver to Shippo, a companion and spiritual ally to Miroku, and to Inuyasha…well, she was his entire world. She was always giving to them and their group, but what about her?

When would they be able to give something back to Kagome? She sacrificed so much for them. Every day she missed school to be with them, strained her human body to keep up with them, witnessed sights that weren't fit for a young girl to witness, especially not someone as pure as Kagome. So when would they stop accepting her self-sacrificing love, taking advantage of her kind and considerate nature, and start giving her something for a change? He could offer her the jewel. Without her, he would never have found it, and he would never have gotten strong enough to take it anyways.

And even if he _did_ possess the jewel…well, could he really turn himself into a monster? After all the friends he'd made and challenges he'd gone through with Tetsusaiga, could he really throw all that away? After all, a full-demon couldn't even wield his beloved sword.

And if he gave up his mortality, that would mean losing Kagome or even worse, putting her in danger of him.

And as for Kagome…well, she lived five hundred years into the future. She had a family, friends, and responsibilities like school to attend to. He couldn't very well stay in the future with her. He'd stand out like a sore thumb. He would never ask her to stay in the past, either. She would have to give up every luxury, face more long years of wars, suffering, and hardship. She'd have to endure more sights like the one they'd seen the other day and never see her family again.

Everything was so confusing to him. Whenever Kagome was around, she made things so much clearer. She brought his true desires to the front. He wanted, above anything else, to at least be able to _see _her when all of the jewel business was over and done with. That was what he wanted at the very, very least.

Inuyasha gazed at the sky which was slowly turning purple as nighttime fought its way over the horizon.

He closed his eyes, willing the jumbled thoughts of his mind away. He needed to rest himself so they could prepare for their next attempt at locating Naraku and taking his jewel shards. There was a feeling like a time-bomb inside him, telling him to hurry, hurry, hurry or he was going to explode. He _had_ to find Naraku and make him experience the most exquisite suffering before utterly annihilating him. But before that, he needed sleep. He was just beginning to doze off when the strangest smell hit his nose. It was so foreign to him, so alien, that it physically jarred him from his restful state.

Taking a deep breath of the air around him, he was almost knocked over by the overwhelming stench in the forest. _'What is that?'_ he thought, slightly irritated. The stench caused an uneasy feeling in his stomach, although it was impossible to place what it was. Grumbling to himself he said, "Keh. Better go check it out."

**XXX**

Miroku and Sango finally finished preparing dinner around sunset. The sky was so alive with color it seemed to set the very treetops ablaze with brilliant reds, golds, and corals. The slayer stood outside the hut they stayed in whenever they returned to Kaede's village, watching the sun sink as ethereal night was victorious over the vibrant day. Her mind was lost in a cloud of sorrow. There was nothing good in this life for her, nothing worthwhile. The only thing keeping her going was her dedication to saving her brother from the prison of his mind and setting his spirit free. After that Sango didn't know what she would do. To continue on and live a normal life seemed so anticlimactic, for lack of a better word. It seemed like an insult to her brother's memory to trudge her way through the years of her life, pretending that one as unworthy as she could ever find peace in this world. No, Sango knew that the she would only find the solace she sought in the next world, with Kohaku by her side.

Nothing mattered to her now. Food was just a means to survive, sleep was just a means to survive. She wouldn't allow herself anymore luxuries, not when her brother was naught but an animated corpse, mindlessly doing the bidding of his murderer. She spent her days either traveling with Inuyasha and the others on a hunt for the jewel, or training with her weapons until her muscles screamed in protest. That's all she had anymore, all she knew. Train harder until you are strong enough to protect what you should have protected so long ago. Her mind was like a dark tunnel, everything surrounding her was lost in a sea of indifference as she ran blindly forward to her goal.

However…there was one thing left in this world that she cared about. Something forbidden. She cast a sidelong glance at her dark-haired friend, watching as he stoked the fire. He had offered himself to her once, presented her with the life she had always wanted, always dreamed of. But that life had ended before it ever begun. She was a broken woman, unable to love and unable to feel. Or rather, she was unwilling to. She was slowly learning how to cut off her emotions, so that she would never have to suffer the same feeling of loss that she suffered now. And more importantly, when she finally met Kohaku in battle she would be able to kill him, efficiently and without hesitation. And the same went for herself.

Until then…she would slowly distance herself from all that she loved: Kagome and the others….and Miroku. She didn't deserve friends like them, and she would no longer burden them with her despair. She shoved away the knot of longing that had formed in her chest and tore her eyes from Miroku's face. It was painful to look at him, a living reminder of the future she wanted more than anything. But this business with Naraku would spoil many futures, and hers was no different. She had already accepted that her duty in life was to help destroy that vile creature, and send her spirit and her brother's spirit to the other world, so they could finally be at peace.

She could not ever forget this duty, as long as she was still breathing.

'_Miroku…I'm sorry,'_

**Hey everyone. I hope you guys enjoyed this new and improved first chapter of 'The Sickness'. I am really happy to be working on this story again, because it's one of my favorites and it really deserves some touch up writing. Please review and let me know if you like it! I will be posting all of the chapters AFTER I finish revising all of them, so this is going to take a while, but it's worth it to me! Thanks for reading and be looking forward to Chapter Two: Ethereal Night and Bitter Dawn.**


	2. Ethereal Night and Bitter Dawn

**Summary:**** After a troubling visit to a village far away, strange and mysterious things begin to happen to Inuyasha and the others. When the disturbing truth is discovered, the group begins a dangerous journey in order to save the life of their friend. Can they escape the sickness?**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Inuyasha or any other related titles or logos.**

**Hey guys! Thanks for coming back to read Chapter Two of my story, 'The Sickness'! Just a reminder, this is the REVISED and REWRITTEN version of the old story posted on here. The plot is exactly the same, just in a different writing style. Thanks to all who reviewed and please continue to do so! Now, on to the story! Enjoy!**

**The Sickness**

**Chapter Two: Ethereal Night and Bitter Dawn**

Inuyasha leapt gracefully from the branches of Goshinboku and onto the damp forest floor. As his feet touched the soggy ground, an image of that terrible, blood soaked village flashed in his mind. He imagined the earth of the forest, his forest, wet with blood and shuddered. _'Damn nightmares,'_ he thought. He inhaled deeply, trying to distinguish what made the scent unique and strange and so alien to him. There was something not right about the forest. It had become suddenly still, suddenly dark. His muscles were tense and unwilling to move, but he forced himself.

As he trekked towards the well, where the smell seemed to be strongest, Inuyasha couldn't push those morbid images from his mind. He pushed aside branches and roots as he broke from the foliage into the clearing where the well rested. The first thing he noticed was how quiet everything was. The well sat in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by trees and silent as stars. It was dark and the air was dank. There were no chirping insects or rustling animals. The silence bore down on him uncomfortably. He scanned the clearing, surprised that a bubble of fear was actually forming in his gut. The feeling was almost beyond his control, and no matter how hard he tried to suppress it he could not. He willed his body to move forward.

As he neared the well, waves and waves of the odd scent flooded over him, and with it came slight nausea. _'Damn,'_ he thought, becoming overwhelmed by his churning stomach. All of his senses became suddenly alert yet dull at the same time. The silence became so loud that his ears burned, and his eyes focused so hard on everything that he couldn't really focus at all. _'What's happening?'_ he thought as his most reliable ways of seeing in the dark were cut off.

Then, in a flush of clarity, it ceased, leaving him bewildered and panting. It was all gone. His hearing and vision returned to normal, and as they did that's when Inuyasha noticed him. A man was simply standing by the well, staring into its depths with a confused look on his face, like he wasn't really seeing it. Inuyasha looked closer. The man's clothes hung off him in an unflattering way, exposing leathery looking skin, pale as the moon shining above. His body was too thin, his bones protruding, giving him the look of a skeleton. He stood hunched over, strands of stringy white hairs hanging over his face.

Inuyasha stilled, too stunned to say anything. He had never sensed a human coming, and what would a human be doing wandering in his forest this late at night? Inuyasha took a cautious step forward. The stench was reeking from the man in noxious waves. It was then that Inuyasha was able to distinguish at least one small part of the complex scent. Rotting flesh. He took a step backwards, the fear in his gut gripping him in a way he hadn't felt since he was a child, it was almost paralyzing. The man standing by the well slowly began to face him, moving in a ghostly manner, almost gliding instead of turning.

Inuyasha was struck as he saw the man's face. It was gaunt and grey and withered, but that's not what disturbed him. It was the two empty eye sockets staring back at him that shook him from within. He took another step back, cowering under the creature's empty stare. The half-demon watched in horror as the skeleton before him began to convulse. It pressed its hands to its chest in what looked like pain, as if he were trying to hold himself together. Inuyasha watched, unable to move, as the man opened his wide, gaping mouth as if to scream, but nothing but a waterfall of blood came out. It poured from his mouth, eye sockets, and nose as if being forced from his very body.

The stench was unbearable. The creature collapsed to the ground, and after gathering his wits, Inuyasha ran to him. A five foot pool of blood surrounded the fallen human, staining the ground a nasty looking crimson. _'It's just like in the mountain village,' _Inuyasha thought, panic settling in him. He stared at the emaciated body of the dead man before him, fear making his stomach turn.

He no sooner wanted to touch the body than to eat his own tongue, but he knew he couldn't leave the poor guy laying there in his own blood. And what would Kagome think when she came back from her time and saw his disgusting contorted form lying there beneath her feet? Inuyasha slowly extended a clawed hand towards the corpse on the ground, every instinct in his body telling him to turn tail and run away. He took a breath and grabbed the man by his slippery kimono and began to drag him towards the forest, in the opposite direction of Goshinboku.

**XXX**

Kagome woke with a gasp, her bleary eyes taking a moment to focus in on her room. '_Home…' _she thought, relief breaking over her body like a cool wave. She rubbed her hand over her eyes, trying to erase images of dead bodies strewn carelessly on the ground, broken and tortured with a punishment worse than death. '_Please…just go away,'_ she begged, attempting to wish away her nightmares, a dark and dismal place in which her very fears came to life to haunt her. She ran two pale hands through her hair, pulling out the tangles.

"I need a haircut," she murmured, mostly trying to distract her mind from the dark places it roamed so frequently nowadays. Kagome's back suddenly stiffened when she heard it. A chilling sound, a quiet hissing whisper, like steam rising from water…or a soul leaving someone's body. She looked around her small room, her heart beating quickly beneath her ribcage. Her hand slid towards the lamp on her nightstand and clicked it on, casting the room in a weak yellow light. There was nothing there but empty space.

'_Snap out of it, Kagome,'_ she thought, wrapping her arms tightly around herself.

She forced herself to leave the sanctuary of her blankets, stumbling over to her desk and opening her Japanese Literature book. She seriously didn't feel like studying, but she had no choice. She had an exam coming up, and she was bound and determined to do well. She'd spent every spare hour she'd had over the last few weeks trying to catch up on all work she'd missed while being away in the Feudal Era. It had been hard teaching herself all the material and even motivating herself to complete it, but she was nearly there. She'd managed to pull passing grades in all of her classes. She was nowhere near the top of the class, a position she had held before her traveling to the past, but top grades no longer mattered to her as much as they had before. She had other, more important, priorities to attend to. Like saving the world, for example. It was still her duty to gather the jewel shards and defeat Naraku.

It still amazed Kagome, the adventures she had been on. She had been born an ordinary girl and had lived an even more ordinary life. She'd grown up with her mother, brother, and grandfather on their shrine. She'd attended school, made friends, cooked dinner for her family, gone to the movies on the weekends, gone on family trips to the beach, and endured her grandfathers fairy tales until she was fifteen. And the morning that she was dragged into the well by an angry and ancient centipede…well, it had been ordinary too.

That day had been so terrifying. She'd met Kaede and the other villagers, who were instantly suspicious of her. She'd been attacked by a monstrous centipede. She unleashed a half-demon menace who tried to behead her. It had been the start of a journey for justice, an unlikely friendship, a heroic adventure. She never expected to make such amazing friends: Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. She loved them all with everything she had, and that fact alone made her banish all regrets she had for investigating the well that day. She was happy that she had made that decision, no matter where it lead her now.

She felt guilty at times, however. She felt as though she had abandoned her family as she formed a new one in the feudal era. And the saddest part of it all was that Kagome would give up her life in the present in a heartbeat to be with Inuyasha and the others in the past. That realization made her sick with shame as she imagined her mother waiting for Kagome through the long years of her life, growing old and sick with grief. For Kagome knew that in the end she would have to make a decision. The well would not accept her forever. She needed jewel shards to travel between times, and once the jewel was complete and destroyed she would have to decide between a life of normalcy and a life of fantasy.

She shook her head, trying to focus back on her work. It was hard to focus on such menial tasks as school when there were huge issues that needed resolving. Her decisions for the future, her relationship with Inuyasha, their plans for defeating Naraku…as much as she wanted to plow through these thoughts and figure out all of her problems, they would have to wait.

Kagome read through the remaining chapters she had been assigned quickly, and then read through them again slowly while taking notes. A glance at the clock told her it was seven, and almost dinnertime. She was pondering whether or not her stomach could handle food when her window slid open and Inuyasha crept in.

"Hey," she greeted, stifling a yawn behind her hand.

"Hi," he said back in a small voice. She leaned back in her chair, scrutinizing him. His face was flushed and his hair was a bit tangled. He had a light sheen of sweat on his skin and his eyes were deep and dark and full of what appeared to be fear.

"What's the matter, Inuyasha?" she said, a swell of worry breaking upon her, fraying her nerves.

He was looking around her room desperately, his eyes hopeless and lost. He sniffed the air, clawed hands trembling at his sides. After a while his shoulders sagged in what she could only guess was relief.

"Inuyasha?" she called again, as his eyes finally met hers.

"Kagome…I…I think I might be sick," he said, his cheeks flushing. He didn't want to seem weak in front of her, or rely on a human to take care of him, but the death of the poor man by the well had shocked him down to his very core. His heart was still racing from the encounter. He had dragged the man far away from the forest, leaving a bloody trail from the well to his grave. He could see the man's face in his mind…his sightless eyes, his gaping mouth, his sunken cheeks. He could envision him, the way he stared unseeing at Inuyasha as the half-demon covered his lifeless body with dirt. He had ran from the gravesite as soon as he'd finished, trying to banish thoughts of undead humans chasing after him.

"Oka-y…" Kagome said, getting to her feet and approaching him. She gently pushed him down on the edge of the bed and pressed the back of her knuckles against his forehead and was met with nothing but cool skin. Besides a little heavy breathing, he seemed alright to her.

"You seem fine to me," she said. He sighed in relief and flopped back on the bed, spreading his arms out. Her reassurance made him feel a tiny bit better. He was worried something might be wrong with him…the blurry vision, the ringing ears. That couldn't be normal, could it? He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, wishing with all his might that he could just forget everything that had happened. Maybe it had all been a hallucination after all, anyways.

"Inuyasha…what is this really about?" she said, never having seen her half-demon companion so shaken up. It was obvious that something had happened and he was terrified. He'd come into her room looking like he expected to see a ghost.

"It ain't nothing, wench. Just leave me be."

"What? You came to me, Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed, annoyed with him.

For a moment Inuyasha seemed sorry, but instead he huffed and turned away from her. He didn't mean to be so harsh, but how could he explain what had happened back there? He was beginning to doubt that it really did. Especially now that he was in Kagome's warm room, her scent wrapping around him in the most comfortable way. He was just starting to drift to sleep when the scent of rotting flesh and something even more sinister hit his nose. He shot up like a lightning bolt.

_Oh no…not here,_ he thought, his head pounding. He scanned her room again, but there were no zombies. No slaughtered bleeding villagers. Just Kagome, illuminated by the soft light. But the stupid scent was still there, plaguing him. Kagome's concerned eyes were on him now. "Are you okay, Inuyasha? You looked a little flushed now…"

He shook his head, feeling dazed. "Fine," he muttered, covering his eyes with his arm. There was this feeling inside him, this gut instinct that was warning him. But he couldn't make out what the threat was. He could catch faint traces of the smell, hovering around the air. It could have been stuck to his clothes, but it was still disturbing nonetheless. He peeked over at Kagome, who was scratching away with her pen. She was peaceful and safe, yet there was still a nagging persistent feeling of fear, a fight or flight sensation that was screaming at him to flee.

He cleared his throat and said uneasily, "So…can I stay here tonight?"

Kagome froze, her heart skipping a beat. He'd never asked her that outright before…it had always just been assumed that when she was in her time he would stand guard outside and watch over her. She turned to face him, trying to read his thoughts, but he looked away from her, staring at the walls as if he were trying to burn them with his eyes.

Now Kagome was really worried. Inuyasha's pride was a formidable thing, and asking permission to stay with Kagome was definitely something that he would have to sacrifice his pride to do. What could have happened that could scare Inuyasha of all people so badly? "Ummm…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say. "Sure, Inuyasha. Let me go get you a futon."

"Silly wench," he scoffed. "I'll sleep outside."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Suit yourself, dog-boy!" She turned back to her textbook, staring at the pages but not really reading them. A part of her wanted to be close to Inuyasha, to let him hold her. A lonely feeling had settled over her heart and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into his arms and fall asleep. Kagome turned around and he was no longer there. She peered out the window and sure enough he was lounging in the branches of Goshinboku.

"Good night, Inuyasha," she said softly, knowing that he could hear her. She shut the window, leaving it unlocked, and went back to studying.

No sleep came that night for Inuyasha, however. He watched Kagome go in and out of her room and change clothes twice, while he averted his eyes of course. She sat at her desk for a while and then turned out the light and went to sleep. He tried countless times to rest, but the still darkness around him prevented him from so much as relaxing. He longed to be in Kagome's room with her, safe and warm under the covers. Those kinds of feelings, feelings of fear and helplessness, disgusted him. He hadn't yearned for that kind of warmth and protection since his mother died, but he couldn't shake them. At least he didn't act on them. He knew Kagome would have left the window unlocked, but going inside was like admitting his fears, and giving fear a name and a face and a purpose was dangerous. It could often manifest itself, if you let fear take hold of you.

As dawn broke, he crept back into Kagome's room. He watched her, feeling a bittersweet smile tug on his lips. She was his very best friend, something unattainable and out of reach. Something pure and kind, something he didn't deserve, but something he wanted more than anything. After a final glance at her slumbering face he leapt out the window and sprinted to the well house. A warm blue light engulfed him and he was back on the other side of the well in the peaceful morning light, no darkness or fear to inhibit him.

**Hello readers! I hope you enjoyed chapter two of 'The Sickness'! Please keep in mind this is the revised version of the story. This is not the same version that was on here before, it's BETTER! I would really appreciate reviews! I accept criticism as well as praise and I would love to hear what you think. I am working diligently on getting this story up to date and wrapping it all up, so the support would be lovely. Thanks so much for reading my story! Now, onward to Chapter Three: Ordinary Morning, Extraordinary Day. Bye!**


	3. Ordinary Morning, Extraordinary Day

**Summary:**** After a troubling visit to a village far away, strange and mysterious things begin to happen to Inuyasha and the others. When the disturbing truth is discovered, the group begins a dangerous journey in order to save the life of their friend. Can they escape the sickness?**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Inuyasha or any other related titles or logos.**

**Hey everyone! Thank you for returning for chapter three of 'The Sickness'. Just one more reminder that this is the REWRITTEN and REVISED version of the old story on here. I'm sure all readers realize this by now, I just wanted to make sure! I hope you all enjoyed chapter two, because the story is about to start unfolding, big time! Please review the chapters to support yours truly and I hope you enjoy reading! On to the show!**

**The Sickness**

**Chapter Three: Ordinary Morning, Extraordinary Day**

Kagome woke feeling more rested than she had for days. Knowing that Inuyasha was outside watching over her had allowed her to sleep soundly and without any frightening nightmares. Funny, but she kept on having the same nightmare over and over. Whenever she woke up she couldn't remember it exactly. Only that it was dark and that she felt scared. Last night though, she felt warm. She felt like a soft golden blanket had wrapped around her and surrounded her with light. That was Inuyasha's presence for you, though. His entire being was light and energy and Kagome adored it.

Her light, however, was dimming. She recalled the events of the night before, the way Inuyasha had entered her room, his eyes bright with terror, his face flushed with emotion. He'd even asked her permission to stay the night in her era, a thing he normally didn't do. Something had severely humbled her half-demon friend, and she intended to find out what eventually. Just as she was climbing out of bed to invite him in, she noticed that his spot in Goshinboku was vacant.

'_Hmm…guess he decided to go on back. Could've waited for me, though.'_

Kagome used the ladies room and took a quick but wonderful shower. She brushed her teeth and hair and dressed for the day, choosing a navy blue skirt that just brushed her knees and a sleeveless white blouse to match. The summer season was on full blast and the feudal era was no exception to its furious heat. Kagome hefted her ridiculously enormous backpack on to her bed, letting it fall with a muffled thud. She pulled out the things she didn't need: old changes of clothes, the textbooks for the classes that had no assigned homework, an empty shampoo bottle she meant to recycle. She repacked it with two fresh changes of clothes and her Japanese Lit textbook.

Her backpack was shamefully bare, reminding her that a trip to the store was probably a good idea before she traveled back to the past.

"Mama!" she called as she slid on a pair of black flats. "I'm going to the store, be back in a bit!" She heard her mother's distant call of approval from the shrine's garden, so she grabbed her wallet and stepped out into the brilliant day. Walking along the suburban streets of Tokyo, Kagome felt peaceful. She was far removed from the darkness of the past, from the nightmares that had haunted her every step since the village. She was surrounded by the indifference of the present era and the staunch modernity.

People gave her friendly smiles and nods, their faces unconcerned with the burdens she bared. It reminded her again how much of an intruder she felt like in this world. She watched an old woman sweeping the entrance to her grocery shop. There were two young boys wrestling over a toy with a scolding mother not far behind. There was a man on his cell phone, who gave her an appreciative glance as she passed by him. She couldn't and wouldn't hate them or envy them because of their ignorance. After all, how could they know the horrors she knew? How could they even imagine the tragedies she had witnessed?

Kagome sighed, something she had been doing a lot lately. Her happy mood had been short-lived, for sorrow and bitterness had chased it away as quickly as it had come. And in less than an hour she would be back in the feudal era being smothered by sadness and hopelessness. Couldn't she just get away for one day? Forget all her troubles and worries and feel nothing but joy?

'_There's no rest for the wicked, Kagome,' _she thought to herself, _'so quit feeling sorry for yourself and snap out of it!'_

Kagome entered the convenience store where she bought most of their supplies. Her savings account had dwindled down to meager amounts, a good portion of it going to this particular shop. Their group constantly needed things. First aid supplies, food, hygiene products. Kagome did her best to contribute at least those amenities. She browsed the shelves, picking up several cups of ramen. She chose a variety of flavors, trying to remember which ones Inuyasha liked the best. She grabbed another bottle of shampoo, a peach flavored one that she and Sango shared. After picking up some candy for Shippo, a can of gourmet cat food for Kilala, and a few bags of potato chips to share with the group she checked out and went back home.

As she walked the few blocks back to her shrine, her shoulders sagged. For the first time in a while she was dreading her return to the past. Although she sorely missed her companions and Inuyasha especially, she couldn't stand to see their faces so full of weariness and grief. The only thing she could be grateful for was that this week her school was on break for five whole school days, so Kagome didn't have to feel bad about missing school. Education truly was important to her, and for two years it had taken a back seat to her duties in the feudal era. It worried her to think, after all this business with the jewel was done, what would she do? Her grades were sufficient but it was still a stretch to say that she could get into a university.

With her sophomore year coming to a close and Naraku still prowling the feudal era, Kagome feared that she would never catch up. Her grade point average was slowly declining. Counselors had bombarded her family with calls about academic advising appointments and out of school tutoring. How would Kagome be able to explain the real reason her grades were suffering? She was bound by duty and honor to restore the Shikon no Tama, the Jewel of Four Souls, and use said jewel to crush an evil half-demon who threatened their very existence?

That one would send her straight to the loony bin. It was lonely sometimes, being unable to tell anyone about her travels in the past. Of course she had her mother and other family members who were honestly quite thrilled to hear her tales. But she also felt bad as she recounted the events of her other life, the life which excluded them.

Kagome trekked up the shrine steps, her muscles a little sore from sleeping on the forest floor for over a week.

"I'm home!" she called, slipping off her shoes and heading to her room. She packed her newly acquired supplies and checked her reflection in the mirror once before bolting out the door once more. She stopped to give her mother a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Bye Mama," she said, her hand lingering on her mother's shoulder.

"Good-bye dear," her mom said, her arms covered with dirt to the elbow.

**XXX**

The flowers gleamed with morning dew as Sango strolled through Kaede's village. She could see the old woman picking medicinal herbs out in the fields and children playing by the river. She turned to gaze at Inuyasha's forest, the sun shining through the leaves and casting the whole place in a cool green glow. These places were so familiar to her, so comforting, yet so disconcerting all at once. She longed for a forgotten village in the forest, the one which watched over the resting place of Midoriko. A village that proudly bred warriors, trained demon assassins. A village that accepted no less than the deadliest hunters and slayers. The same village that pressured her brother, a kind and innocent human, to become strong so he could exterminate demons, ultimately leading to his death.

And his rebirth. Sango's fist clenched as her brother's face entered her mind, her insides twisting with rage. If Naraku stood her before her, no guises or tricks to hide him, she would cut his goddamned head off. She would dismember him bit by bit and then burn the bloody pieces into ash to be scattered on the wind. Finally the world could be rid of him, and she could be rid of him. That vile demon which had poisoned her soul, corrupted it into something dark and driven by hatred and grief.

Sango jumped as a hand touched her shoulder, shaking her a little violently from her thoughts. She turned her gaze to Miroku's face, illuminated by the morning sun. His eyes were as warm as the hand on her shoulder, but even he couldn't melt the ice that had formed a cage around her heart. She looked away. She had already accepted that the relationship she had yearned to have with him was dead and buried, even if he hadn't accepted it yet.

"Does even the sight of me disgust you?" he said, a teasing note in his voice.

Sango looked back at him, forcing a wry smile. "Of course not," she said, attempting to sound sweet. Her voice was raw with dark ambition.

His smile faltered for half a beat, but persisted on. "Ah. Then would you care to join me for breakfast?"

Sango's smile became more sincere. Being around Miroku was possibly the most soothing thing in the world to her. He was a naturally calm and reassuring person, his steady words of wisdom always guiding their group. But for her it was more than that. The raw places in her soul, the vulnerable places that Naraku had torn and exposed and twisted into spaces that burned with absolute hatred, were pacified whenever he was near. "Sure," she agreed as he led her to the base of a tree. There was a cloth laid out with food neatly arranged for them to share. He was always so considerate to her, so sweet.

It elated her and hurt her all at once, these bittersweet moments. They sat down and began to eat. Miroku stared at Sango, as always captivated by her beauty. She was unlike any other woman he had ever met. She was fierce and intense, both on the battlefield and in her love for her friends and family. She wasn't the docile damsel he had become so accustomed to in his life. She also refused him, something most women didn't do. His charms had been known to sway even married women. But not Sango. Not the infuriatingly beautiful and kind hearted Sango.

And he loved her for it, for not giving into his gimmicks. For she knew the real him, the man underneath the somewhat comical exterior. They had gotten to know each other pretty well in their time traveling together. When Inuyasha and Kagome were away they were often left to their own devices. And while Miroku wanted more than anything to spend that time in a more private manner, Sango wasn't quite so keen on the idea. So they spent most of their time alone talking. He told her all about his childhood, about his father. And although it hurt her she spoke to him of the demon-slayers' village.

They speculated about Naraku and his whereabouts, spoke of Inuyasha and Kagome's strained relationship, and even chatted about the season's harvest. On some nights they shared intimate secrets and whispered confessions. On others they laid under the stars in silence, offering an idle comment or two. She even allowed him to hold her hand when the others were not around. Whatever the case, Miroku had come to know her better than anyone, and he could see that something in her was changing, was growing.

Her grief and sorrow over her brother was becoming vile. She was transforming it from the weapon Naraku used to torment her to fuel to the fire of her hatred. Honestly, the transformation was scaring him. There was a steely glint to her eyes and a hard set in her jaw now. Gone was the passionate and hurting woman that he understood and loved. She had been replaced by a creature he couldn't understand, someone who lived and breathed for one thing alone: revenge. It wasn't in her nature to be so, he knew. Naraku's evil was shaping her into more than just a carefree demon-slayer; it was turning her into a cold blooded murderer.

She whispered things in her sleep, things that chilled him to the bone. She spoke of the things she would do to Naraku when they finally caught him, things she would do to herself once she had finished off Kohaku. Miroku knew it all, and while he was scared out of his mind he knew he had to approach the situation delicately. He couldn't approach her and accuse her or make it seem like he thought she was going mad, for he understood pain and rage and the desire to destroy all too well. But he also knew that those emotions could consume you and turn you into a servant of hatred.

He couldn't let that happen to her. He wouldn't let her life end tragically just like the rest of the demon slayers. His reasons were selfish because he wanted her to himself. He wanted to marry her and start a family with her. If only they could he knew that she would pour all her energy and heart and soul into loving and raising his children. She could find a positive outlet for all of her emotion and take her mind away from the shadowy places it roamed. But he also knew that having a child as a distraction was not a good reason. He wanted Sango to heal, to accept the terrible things that had happened to her and move on. However he could tell just by looking at her that the process would be long and tedious, and perhaps unsuccessful.

**XXX**

Inuyasha leaned expectantly against the well. He'd been walking around the forest when he'd felt the familiar tug of Kagome's consciousness on his own and could sense that she was about to cross over to him. At times like this, when he stood on one parallel of time and she on the other, he swore that they were closer than ever. He could _feel_ her, feel everything she felt, as if they were one being instead of two separate ones. The connection was always brief, but it was warm and familiar. He could sense her sadness.

'_Kagome…'_ he thought sadly.

"Oof!"

Inuyasha smirked a bit as Kagome lost her footing and landed on her behind. "Oi! Be careful you silly wench!"

"You could help me up, you know!" she called, huffing.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, trying to hide his grin. As she pulled herself up to the lip of the well he offered her his hand, but she turned her nose up to it. Inuyasha crossed his arms and waited patiently as she struggled out of the blasted thing. She finally managed to gain some footing and pushed herself from the well. Her backpack knocked her off balance, however, and she landed right in Inuyasha's arms.

The girl squeaked as her hands met his chest, her face matching the color of the half-demon's kimono. She could feel his hand on her right hip steadying her, the warmth of it seeping through her navy blue skirt easily. "Er…sorry," she mumbled, pushing away.

Inuyasha's hand struck out suddenly though, catching her small one in his. "Wait, Kagome…" he trailed off.

Kagome's breath caught in her throat. His hand was so warm, and twice the size of hers, too. His outburst had startled her a little. When had he ever reached for her that desperately before?

"Uhh…why are you so cold?" he finished lamely, searching for some excuse to explain his behavior.

That surprised Kagome a little. The heat and humidity were almost unbearable today, and the sun was triumphantly high in the sky, scorching the earth.

"I'm cold?" she asked.

Their conversation was interrupted as a high voice called out to them from across the meadow. "Kagome!" The fox kit Shippo was bounding towards them on all fours, an almost insane expression of happiness plastered on his face. Inuyasha quickly released her hand and stuffed his arms in his kimono, huffing in annoyance and turning around to avoid her searching eyes.

"Hiya Kagome!"

Kagome barely had time to respond as the exuberant ball of orange fur launched himself into her arms. He scuffled up to her shoulder and promptly began digging through her big yellow backpack.

"Did you bring me anything?" he asked, sniffing the bag while rummaging through its contents.

"Oi, fox!" Inuyasha growled, snatching Shippo off Kagome's shoulder by his tail. "Don't you know it's rude to go through someone's stuff without askin' first!" Inuyasha popped the young demon on his head, causing tears to form in his emerald green eyes.

"I did ask!" he whined, rubbing the spot on his head and wincing.

"Yeah, well you didn't even wait for her to-"

"Knock it off you guys, it's not a big deal," Kagome sighed, gently removing Shippo from Inuyasha's grasp.

"Keh. You always take his side," Inuyasha grumbled, stomping ahead of them.

Kagome chose not to answer. She didn't feel like fighting with anyone today, not when so many strained emotions hung in the air already. The only one who seemed unaffected was Shippo, who was cuddling happily in her arms, and for that she was grateful. It was not as if Shippo was insensitive, but when they returned to Kaede's village and were safe and far from all the gruesome realities of life in the feudal era, he often pushed those troubles to the back of his mind. He chose to remain carefree, live in the present. It was a trait many fox demons seemed to share, according to Inuyasha.

Kagome followed her doggy-eared friend through the dense forest, watching her surroundings with a sense of awe. These woods were well named, in Kagome's eyes. The forest of Inuyasha was wild and rough, but still beautiful and calm at the same time. It had housed and protected a slumbering Inuyasha for fifty years, and it now stood watch over Kaede's village, the place where Kikyo used to live. Kagome could still sense the dead priestess's magic in these woods. Especially when standing by Goshinboku, she could feel the anger and the feelings of betrayal that stained the bark of the tree. If her fingers ghosted over the hole where the arrow once was, she could almost feel the arrowhead piercing her chest as Inuyasha had felt it years ago.

Their story, their love, in Kagome's mind was untouchable. They had fallen in love and wanted to be together, but sadly they were tricked. Inuyasha had to watch as the woman he loved readied her arrow and let it fly, right into his heart. Kikyo followed soon after, having been gravely wounded by Naraku disguised as Inuyasha. Their love became twisted into something dark, into a tragedy. And although Kagome had deep feelings for Inuyasha, she felt like an outsider, an unwanted intruder in the legacy that was him and Kikyo. And try as she may she couldn't hate her.

After all, she barely knew her. And if anyone had the right to be with Inuyasha it was her. She lost her life in the fight to be with him and lost her heart in the process as well. Kikyo had been right to burn the jewel, that vile thing. It hung around Kagome's neck, glowing with a sick beauty, radiating the most tempting of evil. Kagome wanted nothing more to be rid of it forever. It had caused so much heartache, so much misery. Wherever it went it left a bloody trail behind it.

And yet, it could grant one's wildest wishes. It could turn Inuyasha into a human. It could bring back Sango's brother. I could revive Shippo's parents. It could keep the passage between the feudal era and the present day open forever. But at what cost?

Kagome shook out of her reverie as they entered the village. A little ways off, Sango and Miroku were eating breakfast under the shade of a tree. Food didn't sound very appetizing to the priestess's stomach, so she merely folded her legs under her and settled by Sango, who gave her a very small smile in greeting. Kagome couldn't even find it in her to smile back.

**XXX**

The day was uneventful. Inuyasha griped on and on about needing to head out and look for more jewel shards, but they had no leads and they had only just returned. Kagome figured that he could scour all of Japan night and day and not need much rest at all, but she and the others needed time to recoup. The girls decided they would take a trip to the hot springs that were a few miles south. Even with the aid of Kilala it would take them some time to get there, so they left just before the sky began to melt away into night.

Inuyasha lay in the hut, drumming his fingers as Miroku leaned against the wall, picking at the bindings on his hand. Shippo played with his spinning top, making it grow larger and smaller again with his fox magic. He was getting rather good at summoning the force of his magic. He had only just begun using the spinning top that his father gave him when he met up with Inuyasha and the others. He could now make it grow five times his own size and appear to weigh five times his opponent's weight. Of course, it was all illusionary magic.

Shippo shrunk the top and stored it in his pocket. What he wouldn't give for _real_ power. Power to defeat Naraku and save Kagome and the others. Fox demons used tricks to deceive and confuse their opponents. They were looked down upon by other races of demons, seen as cowardly and weak. However it was the only power he had, and he supposed that he could merely do the best with what he was given. Besides, his fox fire had gotten them out of quite a few sticky situations in the past, or bought them some time at least.

Shippo's head jerked up as Inuyasha shouted, "Oi, monk! Quit staring at the goddamned wind tunnel! We're all sick of you moping around over it!" Shippo shook his head. His half-demon companion could be so insensitive sometimes.

Miroku smiled wryly. "Can you keep a secret, Inuyasha?" he asked, his voice low and serious.

"What? What the hell are you goin' on about, Miroku?"

The dark haired monk slowly lifted his hand, displaying to Inuyasha and Shippo a new gauntlet on his arm. It wasn't his traditional wrapping with beads. It was different. A purple cloth with inscriptions that Inuyasha couldn't read bound his arm so high that only his fingertips showed. Over them was what looked like a dark purple piece of armor. His beads were wound around this.

Inuyasha stared at it, uncomprehending.

Miroku rolled his eyes at his friend and said, "The wind tunnel has gotten bigger. My old binding could no longer restrain it, so when we passed through that merchant town a week or so back, I bought this off of some old cart man."

"And you didn't tell anyone?" Inuyasha shrieked, jumping up. "When were you thinking of cluing the rest of us in, ya stupid monk?"

Miroku calmly lowered his hand and his eyes to his lap. "It's not important. It's not like any of you can do anything about it, so why burden you with the knowledge?" Miroku attempted a laugh then to ease the situation, but it sounded more like a sob.

Inuyasha stood there for a moment, gaping at Miroku, before shouting "Damn it!" and sprinting out the door into the night, almost ripping the bamboo mat off with him.

Miroku avoided a questioning Shippo's eyes.

**XXX**

Kagome squeezed a generous portion of peach shampoo into her palm and handed the bottle to Sango who took it appreciatively.

"This stuff again," Sango murmured after smelling the strange 'shampoo' from the future. "I love the way it smells," she sighed, running it through the long ends of her hair. It felt good to wash the grime off her body and the dirt from her hair. Truthfully, she didn't bathe much before she met Kagome. Drawing a warm bath was hard work for the people of her village, and they had no natural hot spring that they could visit often. Sango had come to understand that in Kagome's time most people bathed every day, for their water was heated in just a few moments somehow.

"I do, too," Kagome said, rubbing her scalp with a light moan.

"I think everyone does," Sango said, mostly to herself. Kagome paused and considered that.

"What do you mean by that, Sango?"

Sango flushed a little. "It's just that…well, Miroku…he said I smell nice."

Kagome smiled, feeling bemused. "He really said that?" she murmured. He friend nodded quietly, albeit a little remorsefully. She frowned as she pictured the way things would turn out. Miroku and Sango were bound to end up together someday while Inuyasha and Kagome would still be at each other's throats. The young girl was too afraid to truly reveal her feelings to Inuyasha, and she was completely uncertain about his feelings for her. Sometimes it seemed as if she was the only one for him, and others they were worlds apart. Or rather, centuries apart.

Kagome shook those thoughts from her head and submerged her head to rinse her hair. She ran her fingers through the strands, relaxing as the hot water surrounded her tired body. It was then that her body seemed to freeze up. Suddenly everything became still and quiet, and Kagome had the sensation of sinking. The hot springs were only so deep, but she felt as though she could see for miles around. She sunk and sunk until her feet lightly touched the bottom of the spring. She glanced up, but only saw endless depths of water above.

She didn't feel afraid. She felt calm. She acknowledged the fact that she would eventually need to breathe, but it was so nice down there, so peaceful. Until she saw them. Dead bodies were strewn all over the floor of the springs, water bloating them and making their hair wave animatedly. She opened her mouth to scream and water rushed in, water that was heavy and tasted of decay. She began to thrash, her lungs filling painfully. She felt a hand on her arm, pulling her to the surface even as she looked into the empty eyes of a corpse.

"Kagome! What's wrong?" she heard her friend shouting as she broke free of the water, coughing. Kagome didn't answer her friend. She pulled her roughly from the springs where they both collapsed on the shore, panting.

"Kagome, tell me what's happening. Are you alright?"

Kagome was shaking. Had that really just happened? Did she imagine that entire situation? Those springs were shallow enough to stand in, but she'd felt like she been in the ocean. She could clearly see all the way to the bottom, and there was no gray and withered cadavers there to torment her.

"I…"she began weakly, unsure of how to explain herself. "I thought I saw a snake…that's all."

Sango laughed a little nervously. "You scared me half to death, Kagome. Don't worry, snakes are normally harmless creatures. They really are more afraid of you than you are of them."

Kagome nodded, and tried to relax, but she could not bring herself to enter the springs again. She knew what she saw: dead bodies, glaring at her with accusing eyes, trying to drown her with despair. What she didn't know was why? The feudal era was full of spirits. Ever since she had arrived there she could feel their presence. It was rare when a spirit actually showed itself, though, mainly because they were too weak to manifest a form. But these had shown themselves to her, and they hadn't looked friendly either. But why? Why had they chosen to show her? Was it because of her spiritual power? Or was it this particular spring? Their group had visited these springs too many times to count, so it couldn't be that. Kagome dried off and shakily got dressed. Every noise in the forest, every miniscule gleam of light through the treetops spooked her.

She put her clothes on, and towel dried her hair as she waited for Sango to finish washing.

**There's the end of Chapter Three. Thanks to everyone who read, and reviews would be greatly appreciated. NOTE: This is the revised version of 'The Sickness'. All chapters are completely new, so don't forget to go back and reread those! Onward to Chapter Four!**


	4. The Journey for Truth Begins

**Summary:**** After a troubling visit to a village far away, strange and mysterious things begin to happen to Inuyasha and the others. When the disturbing truth is discovered, the group begins a dangerous journey in order to save the life of their friend. Can they escape the sickness?**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Inuyasha or any other related titles or logos.**

**Hello readers, and welcome to Chapter Four of 'The Sickness'. By now you all probably know that this is the revised and completely rewritten version of the story, so I hope everyone enjoys it! Thanks to all who read Chapter Three, and thanks to all who reviewed, please continue to do so! On to the story!**

**The Sickness**

**Chapter Four: The Journey for Truth Begins**

_Inuyasha was falling. Or was he floating? He couldn't tell. All around him was inky darkness, obscuring his sense of direction, not even a tendril of light to guide him. He felt lost in the sea of shadows, and the only person he could think of to save him was her._

_Kagome._

_He spoke her name like it was delicate china, meant to be preserved and protected. To his surprise she suddenly appeared next to him, radiating a soft light. He took her hand, but did not look at her. Just being by her side was enough. He was sure they were falling now, falling right out of the sky. With their fingers intertwined he felt no fear, only elation. The shadows began to melt away as their feet silently and gently touched the ground. They were standing next to the well, and for the first time Inuyasha noticed the strange and sorrowful ringing coming from within its depths. Like a mournful voice, the well sang to them._

_He wanted to talk to Kagome. He needed her assurance, her love, to protect him from the dark places of the world, the unknown. He wanted to tell her about her eyes, how unbearably beautiful they were. He turned to face her. Two holes gaped back at him from her perfect face, holes as deep as the well._

Inuyasha woke with a start that almost sent him reeling out of Goshinboku. He flailed frantically, managing to balance himself on a branch. His heart was still pounding from his nightmare, his eyes still half asleep and playing tricks with shadow and light. The forest was still quiet with pale morning, yet Kagome was awake, sitting beneath the tree, and playing with the hem of her blue skirt. He hopped down from the tree, startling her.

"You're up early," he commented, his voice still rough with sleep. There were dark circles under her eyes and her voice was weak when she answered him.

"I couldn't sleep," she whispered.

The half demon nodded in understanding. His sleep hadn't been too pleasant either, and short lived as well. It was still too early for anyone to be up, as the Sun was just shyly dusting the ground with golden light. "Come with me," he said, extending his hand to her. She squeaked in surprise when he wrapped his arms around her middle and launched them both into the dense branches of the God Tree. The branches created a natural dome of shade for them, casting them into a quiet sense of comfort.

"It's nice up here," Kagome commented, leaning into his chest. Inuyasha's cheeks turned pink and he suddenly found the leaves very interesting.

"Keh."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said, disrupting the quiet once more.

"What is it, wench?" he said, although his voice was soft.

"You know I would never lie to you, right? I would never make something up."

Inuyasha's ears twitched in confusion and a small stab of guilt raced through him. How many times had he lied to her about Kikyo in the past? "Right, and?" he said.

"So, since you know that….you would believe anything I told you?" she slowly turned her face upwards to look at him, and Inuyasha's nightmare flashed through his mind. Two beautiful brown orbs stared back at him, not the empty, dead openings he'd seen in his dream.

"That's pushing it a little, but let's just go with yeah. Now what is it you wanna tell me, Kagome?" he growled, his annoyance beginning to color his responses.

Kagome looked at him a moment more, before sitting back on the branch, a serious expression marring her usually carefree face.

"Last night at the hot springs…I…saw something," she said quietly, fearfully.

Inuyasha gazed back uncomprehendingly. "And….?" he prompted.

"Oh, Inuyasha. You're going to think I'm crazy if I tell you, but I know it really happened, and I was so scared, and-"

"Oi! Kagome, calm down. Tell me _slowly _what happened," he said gently.

Kagome nodded and took a deep breath to steady herself. She wanted to tell someone about what had happened, but she did not want to say her fear aloud. That would be like admitting it was real, like admitting that the monster was coming after you.

"Well…Sango and I were just bathing, like normal. I went under the water to rinse my hair and suddenly everything just got still and quiet. All the sounds were kind of…dull, you know? And I starting sinking and sinking until I hit the bottom, even though we all know those springs are shallow enough to stand in. And…honestly, Inuyasha, I am not making this up…there were dead bodies all over the place. Hundreds, at least. And they were all pale and bloated and…twisted, like in the village. And they were all staring at me. I could feel their eyes on me. Like, even though they were obviously dead, they still had a conscious thought pattern and I was picking up on it. And I guess I got scared and ended up swallowing a bunch of water, and then Sango pulled me out."

Inuyasha paused, to try to take in her story. It was hauntingly similar to his own experience by the well. A dead corpse appearing in the still and quiet, staring at you with eyes that drew you in and didn't let you escape… that's what had happened to him. And now Kagome, too, had encountered the undead.

"Did you tell Sango about it?" he asked, his claws flexing on the branch nervously.

"No. I just told her I saw a snake, because I know it sounds crazy," she admitted.

Inuyasha scoffed. "We've seen stranger things here, Kagome."

Kagome felt a small smile tug on her lips. It felt better that someone else knew, especially Inuyasha. Even the news of that dark encounter didn't dim his light. With him it was, what is it, is it dangerous, and how do I kill it? That kind of strong mental attitude helped push Kagome out of her worried mood. She'd been up all night hearing whispers and seeing ghostly forms through the trees, all due to her overactive imagination.

And even though she felt better because of Inuyasha's nonchalant response, the half demon in question did not. He could feel that creeping, ice cold fear piercing his stomach again. It was a desperate fear, an instinctual fear that gripped him, the same kind of fight or flight sensation. And then there was Kagome. After hearing her story and having that nightmare it was almost unbearable to look at her face. His heart raced every time he looked into her eyes, for he feared that she might be in danger. Something might be threatening her, something beyond the natural world and thus beyond his control.

"We should probably see Kaede about this," he urged.

"What? I thought you just said, 'we've seen stranger things here.'"

"Well, yeah! And most of those things almost succeeded in killing us, too, remember? Just because we have seen worse, and probably been through worse, it doesn't hurt to be cautious, right?"

Kagome stared back at Inuyasha as comprehension dawned on her. He was scared. Inuyasha was truly scared. 'Let's be cautious' was not his style, and that realization was enough to chill her with anxiety all over again.

"Well, why should we be cautious if there is nothing to worry about?" she asked, panic creeping into her tone.

"I never said that, wench," he growled.

"But…you were all nonchalant about it! That is totally misleading, dog boy!" she yelled, pointing her finger in his face.

Inuyasha grabbed her finger and yanked her back to his chest. "Be quiet, wench, you're gonna wake up the whole village." Although his words were rough his voice was soft. Kagome was going to protest, but it was awfully comfortable on his chest. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you, Kagome. That's why I want to be cautious."

Kagome stilled, suddenly too tired to respond. Staying up all night was causing a heavy sensation to bear down on her shoulders and neck and eyelids, but strangely enough she simply could not fall asleep. She could close her eyes, let all the tension from her body go, and even settle into deep rhythmic breathing, but sleep wouldn't come. They lay together like that until the sun crept into the sky, illuminating everything with light. Inuyasha could hear the villagers, along with Miroku and the others, beginning to stir.

He didn't want to wake Kagome from her almost slumber, especially when her body was sagging as though it was under the weight of the whole world, but he knew that leaving Sango and Miroku alone together for any length of time could get dangerous. He lifted the priestess into his arms and began bounding towards the village. And sure enough, as soon as he was in ear shot he heard a startled yelp, a resounding slap, and a familiar crash from inside their little hut.

**XXX**

"Miroku! What has gotten into you?"

A livid Sango was stalking towards Miroku who lay crumpled against the wall, a stupid look of happiness on his red face. Miroku knew he was probably in for the beating of a lifetime, but it was well worth it. He'd woken, and the sight of sunlight pouring over Sango's sleeping form had been too tempting. He'd gently turned her face toward his and leaned in to give her a chaste kiss that more than likely wouldn't have even woken her…however, she had. And the sight of him hovering above her had startled her so much that she'd jerked upwards, crashing their lips together almost painfully.

And Miroku, being the sly person that he is, had fully taken advantage of her state of shock and half-awake, and had slid his fingers through the long ends of her hair and had proceeded to thoroughly kiss her.

And although she would never admit it, Sango had thoroughly enjoyed it. But her sense of pride and modesty, coupled with the fact that she had forbidden herself to give in to Miroku's advances whether they be romantic or sexual, had caused her to react quite differently than she had really wanted to. For in reality, she had wanted to throw herself at him, desperately seeking a way to escape, to lose herself from the darkness that was threatening to consume her very being. She wanted to experience happiness again, excitement, elation. She no longer wanted to stalk the dark passageways of revenge and cruelty, but to bask in the light of love making and romance.

But she simply could not. No matter how tempting it was to throw away her quest for vengeance and let Miroku, her best friend and only desire, sweep her off her feet, she could not give in. Those were utterly selfish desires, and she would be condemned to hell if she left her brother to rot in that animated corpse of a body, with no will and no freedom. And to free him she would need to not only focus on training and determining a way to revive him, but she would also need to sever her ties from the world. For if she was unable to save her brother, if in the end he was truly meant to die at the hands of the creature Naraku, then Sango planned to join him shortly after. It was only right. They were all meant to die, each demon slayer who had visited Naraku's castle that faithful night. And so they would, the line of exterminators ending with her and Kohaku, hand in hand. Their spirits would join their ancestors' together.

Miroku was staring at her, a puzzled look on his face. She had been charging him, ready to pound his head into the dirt, but she had suddenly stopped.

"Miroku," she said quietly, seriously. "Please…don't anymore. I don't want that kind of attention from you. If you are truly my friend, and you truly care about me, then please just…leave me alone."

His heart fell into the pit of his stomach, her words like acid on his very skin. It was not that she was refusing him, for she had done this many times in the past. But their situations together had always been almost comical. He would grope her, she would get mad and punch his lights out, and at the end of the day they were always still companions. But she had never refused him like this. She had never pleaded with him in a broken and defeated voice to leave her alone.

And although he realized what she was doing, distancing herself from him, it still hurt him to hear those words. He bowed his head slowly, the slap on his cheek stinging for the last time. He nodded solemnly, unable to bring himself to reply.

He was just about ready to crawl back into his futon and sulk for the remainder of the day, but Inuyasha burst into the hut like the insensitive imbecile he was, carrying a dreary Kagome in his arms. The half demon looked from Sango to Miroku, lifting a dark eyebrow in question. "What the hell's gotten into you two?" he sneered. One withering look from the demon slayer was enough to cool his heels, though, and he promptly went into the corner and sat down, cradling Kagome in his arms.

There was a long silence, Inuyasha too afraid to speak, Miroku too sad, and Sango lost in thoughts of despair. Despite the warning glare she'd given him, Inuyasha could only wait so long.

"Well, since no one else is sayin' anything, we have a problem on our hands."

That got everyone's attention, even rousing a sleeping Shippo who had miraculously dozed through his companions' confrontation.

"Huh…wha?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Kagome was alert now too, reclining in Inuyasha's embrace, too tired to feel embarrassed, and enjoying it too much to move.

"Kagome and…" Inuyasha paused. He had been about to say 'Kagome and I', but he was still not ready to admit to their group what had happened to him at the Bone Eater's Well a few days before.

"Well, Kagome saw something at the hot springs last night that…" Inuyasha paused again. Why couldn't he talk about this stuff? He cursed his own inability to admit feelings.

Thankfully Kagome took over. "It has us all a little concerned," she finished, looking around the room nervously. Three pairs of eyes stared back at her curiously, silence filling the room once again. Kagome cleared her throat.

"Sango, what I saw last night that scared me so badly wasn't a snake."

Sango raised her eyebrow, casting a look at Miroku, but he only shrugged, just as in the dark as everyone else. Kagome took a deep breath and began recounting the tale to the rest of her companions. As she did, their eyes widened, and Sango brought a hand to her mouth.

"Kagome…I didn't see anything last night. Are you absolutely sure of what you saw?" Sango felt a little skeptical. She had been right there in the water. Kagome had never left her sight for a second, except to rinse her hair, but even then Sango could clearly see her.

Kagome nodded slowly, chewing her lip in thought and said, "I know it sounds weird, but I am not making this up. There was something there. I could see it and feel it and I just…believe it."

The demon slayer nodded. Although she relied more on logical and critical thinking, she trusted her friend. Kagome was a pure and honest person who would never lie to get attention and never deceive for her own purposes.

"That's unreal," Miroku murmured from his place against the wall. "As you already know, Kagome, spirits can rarely manifest themselves so explicitly. Most spirits appear as light, or sometimes in the form of animals. But it is hard for a ghost to take human form, not without aid of some sort."

"So what do we do about it?" Inuyasha asked from the corner.

"To the point as usual, Inuyasha," Miroku said, grinning ruefully. "I suppose we can ask Kaede, although I doubt she will have any answers." He slowly pushed himself off the floor and dusted off his robes as the others followed suit. One by one they stepped into the morning light, greeting the day despite the eerie atmosphere that surrounded them. Kilala pounced gracefully from the roof to Sango's shoulder, happy to finally see her friend.

They trekked to Kaede's hut. Miroku avoided Sango's eyes, afraid to show her the hurt he was feeling. Inuyasha was "dragging" Kagome by her hand, although he really just wanted to have his hand around hers. He was still feeling this strange feeling of fear, but it was not fear for himself. It was fear for her. Every time he looked at her he felt a sharp pang of it, could taste it in his mouth bitterly. It was not because of their strange encounters with the spirits, either, it was an actual pulling on his conscious, an instinctual drive. He knew that to ignore this feeling would be unwise, but it was hard to decipher exactly what he wanted it to do. Mostly it simply felt like he should take Kagome away somewhere and hide her from the world, with only him present to protect her.

Of course he knew this was not possible. So what else? What other options did he have? The entire group entered Kaede's hut, instantly crowding it. The old woman cast a suspicious eye on them "What are ye up to, Inuyasha?" She said in her gravelly voice.

"ME?" Inuyasha shouted. "Why do you always assume this is about me, ya old hag?"

Before the two could get into a verbal battle that would last for the better part of the day, Kagome stepped forward and interjected, "It has nothing to do with Inuyasha, Kaede. It has to do with me." Inuyasha felt a little bad as she said this, for he too had come upon the undead. However, he didn't want anyone to know just yet. He didn't want to cause a panic and he certainly didn't want them all worrying about him or pitying him.

"Ye, Kagome?" Kaede seemed shocked, earning a pout from Inuyasha. Why was he always the one in trouble while everyone took Kagome's side? Kagome sat down, so the others followed her example, making a circle around the fire. Shippo settled into Kagome's lap, Sango made sure to put the priestess between she and Miroku, so Inuyasha had no choice but to sit next to Kaede. At least Kilala came over and curled up next to his knee.

Kagome retold Kaede what she had told everyone else, making sure to describe every detail. She figured that the more the old woman knew, the better advice she could give. Although Kaede did not have the spiritual power that Kikyo possessed she was still a powerful healer, archer, and even medium. For this reason, their group often looked to Kaede for spiritual advice. Kaede listened with closed eyes, a frown marring her wrinkled face, a crease between her eyebrows. After the story was told, the old priestess sat in silence, absorbing the news.

"I should have known ye five would be affected by this," she murmured, earning a hot red gaze from Kilala, who she had not counted.

"Affected by what, may I ask?" Miroku questioned, surprised that Kaede had knowledge of these events. Although Kaede was indeed wise and even powerful to an extent, she lived in a very small village that very few people ever came through.

As if reading his thoughts, the old woman croaked, "I have heard rumors of late of a growing and spreading darkness. I know not all the important details, all I know is that it leaves destruction in its wake, yet it leaves not a trace of its presence. I have heard that this entity, this spirit, roams the land consuming souls and leaving behind human husks, contorted in pain and death."

A rustle went through the group as they cast surprised looks at each other. One common thing was on their mind, and one thing only. The village in the mountains. The village where human corpses had been sprawled carelessly about, distorted in the most unnatural of ways.

"The village we just visited…was like that," Kagome said, unable to further describe the condition in which they had found it. Kaede sighed solemnly.

"I was afraid of this," she said remorsefully.

"Just tell us what the hell is going on, hag!" Inuyasha shouted suddenly, jumping up.

"Sit down, fool," the old woman commanded in a voice much stronger than her appearance gave her credit for. Inuyasha folded to the ground and muttered 'keh' under his breath. "As I said, I know not all the information on this subject. However, I know someone who does. There be a man high in the Northern mountains named Seiji. He is very wise and very old. If anyone knows of this evil, it be he."

The group was silent again, each one lost in thought until Kagome said almost sadly, "So you are saying we have to travel North? We have to set out again for another trip?" The old woman nodded, staring intently at Kagome with her good eye.

"And I caution ye," she said, her gaze still fixed on the priestess, "all of ye…use the utmost care."

**XXX**

"Kanna. Tell me, why did the spirit leave again?"

A small and emotionless voice answered from the dark, "He cannot live without consuming human souls. He must feast once every fortnight."

There was a pause as a man with flowing midnight hair considered this. "Cannot live without human souls?" he questioned, gazing into the courtyard. "He is similar to Kikyo, then. When will he return, Kanna?"

"Now," the light voice answered back. As if on cue a terrifying bellow was heard from the courtyard of the invisible castle, nestled away in the eastern mountains. The black gates of his palace kissed the shore, its dark face gazing out into the endless ocean.

The man in the baboon pelt rose from his futon, pleased to find that the strength it had taken him to tame the beast had finally returned to him. He gave silent thanks to Kanna, who had nursed him back to health. Of course, it wasn't as if she had a choice. He strode into the courtyard, his eyes roaming over the repulsive monster who had once been a living creature with a beating heart. Now it was nothing more than a servant of revenge, thirsty for human blood and ready to serve him if it meant he could carry out his vengeance unhindered.

The vicious beast stalked the courtyard, its beady red eyes drinking in everything. It was still somewhat transparent, barely held on to the real world by hatred and corrupted jewel shards. When it saw Naraku it gnashed its jaws, roaring horrendously into the miasma filled air.

"Calm yourself," Naraku commanded, giving the jewel fragment in his hand a powerful squeeze. The beast flung itself to the ground in pain, thrashing wildly until it completely subsided. The man laughed, a humorless sound.

Not fifty feet away, a petite woman with dark ruby eyes and inky black hair regarded the man with hatred in her gut. Her magenta lips were pursed in a frown as she watched him gloat over his newest beast, watched him with more disdain than one could imagine.

"Naraku," she seethed under her breath, "You _will_ set me free. You cannot contain the wind itself." With that statement she pushed away from the wall and stalked off into the castle.

**XXX**

Kaede had supplied the group with plenty of supplies and directions to the village where this supposed wise man Seiji resided. They had set out shortly after their discussion with her, much to her ardent urging. She kept casting worried glances at Kagome and then going on about their need for haste all over again. Honestly, Inuyasha didn't mind. He too wanted to find out what threat was looming above them that had him so spooked, had every muscle in his body tensed. In fact it seemed as if they weren't moving fast enough, having to continually stop and rest mainly due to Kagome. He didn't yell at her though, for he could see the fatigue rolling off of her in waves.

Kagome was trying her hardest to keep moving, willing her feet to take just one more step closer to their destination. She could see Inuyasha practically bouncing up and down with anticipation, but god bless him he didn't say anything. She couldn't understand why she felt so worn down. Yes, she had pulled an all-nighter. Yes, she had experienced something that had been emotionally draining. However, each and every limb felt heavy and dragging. She paused for a second, leaning against a tree for support. Inuyasha glanced back at her again, but this time he strode over and picked her up. She let out a squeak of protest as he slid her onto his back, a somewhat awkward position considering the now overstuffed backpack she wore.

"Oi!" he called to Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, "You heard the old hag. We need to get moving. Get on Kilala and we can cover some serious ground before nightfall."

Kagome sagged against him, grateful that she could finally rest surrounded by his earthy scent. Miroku, however, was not so excited about riding Kilala with Sango. They hadn't spoken at all since their encounter and the monk wasn't really sure what to say. He felt broken. He felt like all the effort he had spent trying to heal her, trying to bring her back to him, had all amounted to nothing. He watched the fire cat transform as Sango agilely swung her lean leg over her companion. The slayer stared directly ahead, not even bothering to look at him. He approached Kilala who gave a hiss of approval and swung his leg over as well. Despite their situation, Miroku placed his hands on Sango's hips to hold on as the fire cat took off into the air. She tensed, but didn't say anything.

The group traveled for the better part of the day, eating up sky and earth as if the hounds of hell were upon them. Inuyasha didn't even complain when they stopped for camp that night, for they had made surprisingly good distance. They picked a spot between a cluster of trees, where Miroku promptly excused himself to collect firewood. Kagome watched him with a confused eye, noticing for the first time that he and Sango's normally cordial relationship had turned a little…icy. She glanced from the monk back to the slayer, who had sat down on a fallen tree and was polishing her slayer armor silently.

Maybe it was time for Kagome to talk to Sango…to really, really talk to her. Not just hot springs gossip, but to have a deep conversation. She realized that Sango was dealing with some issues that she would rather not speak of aloud, and the priestess respected that. However, their business with Naraku would soon be done. The battle was looming ahead, whether they brought it to him, or he brought it to them. Sango needed to figure out where she would go, what she would do after it was all said and done. What if Kohaku perished? Sango needed to make peace with this fact, or it would drag her down into a place too dark for anyone to reach her.

In fact, the whole group needed to sort these things out. Where would Kagome go when she was no longer needed? Would Shippo continue to stay with them, his surrogate family? How would it affect him if she went back to her time period? And most important…what would become of her and Inuyasha? Although they were very close and had shared some very special and even intimate times together, neither had admitted their feelings straight out. Kagome still felt at times that Inuyasha saw Kikyo's face every time he looked at hers, and Inuyasha still believed that Kagome deserved better. However, the future, the one that was so very uncertain, was coming towards them now. Naraku had obtained almost the entire sacred jewel, thanks to Kikyo. Their group would either die tragically in the fight, or live on to see that future that was so clouded with doubt and grief.

The priestess spread out a blanket on the ground and plopped down tiredly. It felt good to rest, but she still didn't feel at ease. Darkness was coming, creeping over the mountain tops like malicious black shadows coming to devour them all. She thought back on what Kaede had said just before they had left.

"_Wait," Kaede had said quietly. "After ye enter the Mori no Sekiryou ye must use extra caution. It is a dangerous place for humans and demons alike, and many end up getting lost. Ye must stick together, and only then will ye reach Seiji. Follow the forest until ye reach the mouth of a giant cave. The journey through the cave will be at least a day, so prepare yourselves. When you come to where the cave splits, follow the middle path and it will lead you to Seiji. Tell him…Kaede sent ye."_

Mori no Sekiryou was the forest that protected the village where Seiji resided. Kaede had said that it was very vast and very deep, often confusing those who traveled through it. She had said that to cut straight through was the best way. Of course, two people could always use Kilala to fly straight over, but the old priestess had strictly said to stay together, and the fire cat could not bear the weight of them all. She had also said that they needed to go as quickly as possible. She hadn't even allowed Kagome to return home for extra food and clothes, but she had given her a set of traditional priestess robes. White shirt, long red pants. An absolute vision of the past, she would be. A pretender.

For in truth, Kagome didn't feel like a priestess. She knew she possessed spiritual powers. She could fire sacred arrows, purify jewel shards, even blast demons to hell and back when she was in desperate situations. She trained and trained with Kaede whenever they had the time, but here lately they had been focusing solely on gathering as many jewel shards as they could. Even if she had all the time in the world to harness her powers, she was making very little progress. She could heal small scrapes and bruises, the kind Shippo received when he had a particularly rough romp through the forest with Inuyasha. Kaede had taught her a great deal about herbs and plants too, for in the feudal era they didn't have antiseptic and ibuprofen and things like that.

It made Kagome sad to think how many people in the past died due to improper medical care. In the present, when someone was diagnosed with a disease the doctors did everything in their power to help you, or they at least made your passing as painless as possible. But here, getting a disease meant a certain and swift death, on top of all the many other things you could die from. Samurai, demons, famine, starvation. Kagome wanted to help them all, but she was just as powerless to save them as she was to save her companions.

'_Well, shoot,' _she mused. _'Looks like I've gone and put myself in a bad mood again.'_

Suddenly Kagome remembered that she had some things in her bag that would cheer everyone up a little bit.

"That reminds me!" she said, too loudly, startling the group. "I brought some things back from my time that we can all share." She began rummaging through her enormous yellow backpack. She removed the small tin of Kilala's cat food, the candy she had brought for Shippo, and some chips and other snacks as well.

"Inuyasha, could you open this for me," she said sweetly, presenting the can ofcat food to him. The half demon eyed it warily, scooting away from her a little bit.

"Oh, no you don't Kagome. I am well aware of what that stuff is. It's that nasty cat food shit from before! That stuff is vile, there ain't no way I am opening it!" Inuyasha dashed to the other side of the clearing near Miroku, who cast a disdainful look at him.

"Fine," came Sango's voice, like a steel blade. She was glaring fire at Inuyasha, who cowered behind the monk. The slayer unsheathed her sword, paused to glare Inuyasha down into a little piece of nothing, and sliced the can open in one deft swing. "There you go, Kilala," she said, stroking the kitten's ears affectionately. She mewed happily and proceeded to eat.

"Hell if I'm gonna sit around here and smell rotten fish all night," Inuyasha barked before he dashed into the trees.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called, "We're supposed to stick together!"

The young girl thought she heard a distant 'keh' from within the forest, but she couldn't be sure.

Sango came and settled by Kagome, her presence instantly comforting. Kagome was truly grateful to have a friend like Sango. None of her friends from the present could compare, although she felt bad to admit that. But they couldn't. Sango had depth, had life in her. In the present, everyone was nothing but what they appeared to be on the surface. They felt no deep emotion, they had no honor, no sense of who they really were. They didn't stride fiercely onto the battle field to slay hordes of demons, they didn't witness their brothers murder their entire families, and then die in his arms. And while Kagome would never wish that on anyone, it had made Sango into a beautiful and compassionate girl who she simply adored.

She had always wished for a sister. And shortly after she had arrived in the feudal era, she had gotten one. Sango was attractive, brave, funny, fierce, sad, and more. She would give her life for any one of them. She had already given her life to her family. Kagome put her arm around the slayer, startling her. She gave her a warm smile, and Kagome was pleased to find that her friend smiled back. It was small and fragile, but it was still there. That fact alone gave Kagome hope that everything would be fine, that Sango would be fine. But there was still the issue with her and Miroku. The priestess cast a sly glance at the young man. In her time, he would still be considered a boy, but she never thought of him that way.

He was very wise and very calm, something the guys from her time had not yet achieved. He yearned for a wife and family, something the guys from her time would rather avoid. He, too, had awesome power. The wind tunnel was one of the most powerful forces Kagome had ever witnessed. It drew in everything around it, sucking it into a black void. Kagome shuddered to think where the wind tunnel led its victims. Some alternate reality? Or simply into nothingness, where they slowly went insane from the silent darkness? She hoped to never find out. And she hoped, too, that her dear friend and spiritual mentor never had to find out either. Even without the wind tunnel, Miroku was strong. He could maintain barriers, charm sutras, and wield his staff like nobody's business. And to go along with all that strength and power, he was also very smart, especially for a man of his time, a time where technology had yet to be discovered.

And she could see the hurt written plainly on his face, furrowing his brow, pulling down his lips, slumping his shoulders. What had conspired between her two friends that had caused this kind of pain to grip them both? Kagome wanted to ask, wanted to know. But it felt wrong to approach Sango about it when Miroku was building a fire just a few feet away. So instead, she laid down next to her best friend and gazed at the sky, feeling sleepy and worried. She wondered where Inuyasha had chosen to rest his head tonight, and wished she could be with him. She thought of Naraku. What kind of man would Naraku have been if he had used all that power for good? She dozed in and out of sleep, not ever falling into a deep slumber, yet not fully awake. She tried to imagine what the baboon cloaked man would be like if he was kind. She dreamed briefly of her sitting with him in a pure white room, begging him to change his ways, not wanting to resort to violence to end the fight.

She thought he looked sad for a moment, but then he disappeared and she realized she'd just been talking to a doll. Kagome rolled over, frustrated with her dream and with her inability to rest. Her mind drifted between sunny days at the beach with Inuyasha and the others, to dead bodies lurking in the water. As she stared around the clearing she could almost swear that there were shapes in the trees, pale white shapes that angled towards her with hostility and rage.

**Hey everyone! I hope you all enjoyed Chapter Four! I know it was not very eventful but I am still trying to establish character relationships and get into the groove of things. Very soon more and more characters and their thoughts and feelings and situations will be introduced, now that we have the Inuyasha gang settled and on their way to see Seiji. By the way, Mori no Sekiryou translates to Forest of Loneliness! This is a totally revised and rewritten version of The Sickness, so if you have already read it, please go back and read it again or you will be lost. I have added many things, taken out many things, and reworded many things in general. The chapters are much longer and I hope they are much better. Reviews are always appreciated. I will get working on Chapter Five as soon as possible!**


	5. The Weakening of Familial Ties

**Summary:**** After a troubling visit to a village far away, strange and mysterious things begin to happen to Inuyasha and the others. When the disturbing truth is discovered, the group begins a dangerous journey in order to save the life of their friend. Can they escape the sickness?**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Inuyasha or any other related titles or logos.**

**Hello everyone! Welcome to Chapter Five of 'The Sickness'. Before you continue reading, please note (again) that this is the rewritten and revised version of the original story. If you have already read it before, that is wonderful! But please go back and reread. I have added many things, taken out many things, and done my best to make this story a whole lot better! If you don't reread you might be a little confused or lost, and I don't want that! Also, please review! I would love to know how the story improved, or what you didn't like about the changes, or just a general review is cool too! On to the story!**

**The Sickness**

**Chapter Five: The Weakening of Familial Ties**

The sun had just barely touched the horizon when Inuyasha woke. The sky was light pink, with puffy white clouds drifting lazily by. The heat of the day had yet to settle over the land, casting the air in a cool and pleasant breeze, lifting the snowy white ends of his hair. The half demon slowly pushed himself from the tree branch he had settled in last night, not too far from camp. He leapt to the ground and gave an enormous stretch to shake the sleep from his limbs. He felt marvelously well rested. One would think that spending the night in a tree would be uncomfortable, but for Inuyasha it was the other way around. Perhaps it was because he spent most of his childhood hiding in them to escape hungry demons, but he felt unsafe on the ground, out in the open. From the trees you had a better vantage point, one where you could see the enemy approaching and react accordingly.

Or maybe it was because he spent fifty years pinned to one. After that long, you begin to feel a little attached, no pun intended. He cracked his neck from one side to the next and sprinted to the makeshift campsite his fellow companions had set up for themselves. Miroku was leaning against the base of a tree, staff leaned against his shoulder. Shippo was sprawled out in the monk's lap, snoring with his mouth wide open. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at that. He glanced to where he was sure to find Kagome sleeping soundly next to Sango, but instead she was sitting up gazing at the rising sun. A tentative sniff in the air and the fragile way she held her knees to her chest told him she was absolutely exhausted.

"Morning," he said quietly so he wouldn't wake the others. She looked at him, still beautiful despite the dark circles beneath her eyes and the white pallor of her skin.

"G'morning," she whispered back, offering him a small smile.

"You look tired. Didn't ya sleep at all last night?"

She thought about it for a second and said, "Well, I just kinda drifted in and out of sleep. I couldn't stop tossing and turning. I probably drove Sango half crazy." She laughed, her voice somewhat hoarse from lack of use. "Plus I just dreamed really bizarre stuff last night."

"Like what?" Inuyasha asked, instantly concerned.

However she just shrugged and said lightly, "I can't really remember." She smiled at him then, but for some reason he didn't believe her. If she didn't remember then she wouldn't have mentioned it, right? He shook his head though and dropped it. If Kagome wanted him to know then she would tell him, and she pretty much always did eventually.

The trees rustled with a cool wind that caressed his skin almost lovingly. Although it was just early morning, he was ready to move again. He had this urgent feeling in his gut to proceed. Everything around him was rush, rush, rush, and everything inside him was hurry, hurry, hurry. He could feel deep instincts and emotions boiling within him, and the familiar and bitter sensation of his demon blood awakening was pricking his fingers and eyelids. He knew that to ignore these instincts would only provoke his demon side, which was never a good idea. With this in mind he reached over Kagome and gently shook Sango's shoulder.

"Wake up, Sango," he said. She said something unintelligible, something that sounded rather annoyed. Normally he would leave Sango alone, for frankly…she scared him. After all, the first meeting they had ever had she had attempted to kill him. They had become friends quickly after that, but Inuyasha would never ever forget the ferocity in which she swung her enormous boomerang. Seeing that thing coming straight for your face was absolutely terrifying, and he would rather get groped by Miroku than face that again. He looked at Kagome, who nodded, meaning she would take over the task of waking the dangerous slayer.

Inuyasha walked to the other side of the small clearing and nudged Miroku's knee with his foot. "Oi! Monk! Rise and shine, it's time to get a move on," he shouted in the monk's face. He obviously had no qualms against violently rousing Miroku, for he knew that he walked a path of peace…and he didn't carry a giant boomerang with him. He opened his bleary eyes, taking in the surroundings without comprehension. Sleep was still working its magic on the group, besides Kagome who enviously watched as each member slowly roused themselves from the blissful silence and peace of slumber.

Sango had already risen, strapped on her armor and slung her boomerang over her back before Miroku had even had a chance to get up. That was partly because Shippo was still snoring loudly, albeit adorably, in his lap. Miroku feared for the young kit though. If he didn't wake soon Inuyasha was going to bonk him into next week. "C'mon, Shippo. It's time to get up," Miroku said softly to the little guy. His tiny fox foot twitched and he mumbled something about pocky monsters, before rolling unceremoniously out of the monk's lap and onto the ground.

This woke the boy, who sat up and glared blearily at his older companions. Although Shippo was normally a rather pleasant creature he hated to be woken up, especially so early. He silently treaded over to Kagome, who obligingly picked him up in her arms, and he settled grumpily back into sleep mode. Kagome smiled, for she always loved to cradle the tiny fox kit in her arms. He was surprisingly light and small for a child his age. He could speak, cast his fox magic, think, and reason. Yet he also enjoyed things like candy and crayons and meeting other children his age. He was smaller than Souta, yet somehow she found him to be more mature. Maybe growing up in the feudal era tended to do that to young children, not to mention that he had witnessed the death of his mother and father. Perhaps Souta was just more carefree, carried less responsibility.

Kagome suddenly felt bad. Here she was, comparing someone from the past to someone from the future again, and somehow the person from the past always ended up in a favorable light. Shippo and Souta both had wonderful and not so wonderful things about them. She needed to stop being so down on everyone from the present. For, hadn't she been just like them before her travels in the past? And besides, these were two completely different time periods in question. Of course the people would act accordingly to the context in which they lived. Shippo was no better than Souta, and Souta was no better than Shippo. However…Kagome knew that she could never ever find someone in the future who even slightly compared to Inuyasha. And she didn't feel bad about that, either.

As their group began moving, deciding to walk slowly for a while to get everyone fully awake, Kagome flashed back to when she first saw Inuyasha pinned to Goshinboku, as peaceful as a sleeping child. That day had changed her life forever, and a large part of Kagome liked to think that destiny pulled her down that well, not a hideous centipede demon. She liked to think that somehow she and Inuyasha's fates were intertwined in the mystery of time. After all, not just anyone could go down the well. Only her. And her family could've ended up anywhere else in Japan, but they ended up on that particular shrine, next to that particular well. Kagome remembered the story her grandfather told her of his days in college. He had been studying to be an accountant, like his father. But something compelled him to forsake education and become and spiritual leader, a keeper of the sacred place that shrines are. Everything in all of their lives led to this point. In fact, Kagome's mother had experienced severe complications during her pregnancy with her, but by some miracle they had both made it through.

And now here she was. Was it Kikyo's soul that had drawn her back to that place? No. Kikyo had wanted the sacred jewel to remain hidden forever, never to return to the feudal era where some vile creature could use it to wreak havoc. Despite her reluctance to admit it, Kagome sometimes felt as though the jewel itself had slowly made its way back to the feudal era, using her body to get it there. After all, the demons warring with Midoriko's spirit inside the jewel wanted more than anything for corruption to win out over purity, and the only way to do that was to get it into the hands of someone who wanted to use it for evil intentions. But no one in the present believed in silly superstitions like that. Even if they truly possessed the jewel, more than likely they would either sell it, or put it on display in some museum somewhere. Therefore, the jewel had opened a pathway to the past and had awoken Mistress Centipede. And the rest is ancient history.

No matter what the reason was Kagome was happy it had happened. She had met Inuyasha that day and had spent almost every day since then by his side. She had never been happier, sadder, or angrier than ever before. She had never felt any emotion stronger before. He had awoken things inside of her she could have never imagined, including desire and longing, pain and betrayal.

She tried not to wear herself out too much over Inuyasha and Kikyo's legendary past together, a past that had altered the course of history. After all, Inuyasha had shown affection to Kagome before. Like when he told her she smelled nice during their battle with the spiderheads. That was the very first time she had seen a human Inuyasha. There were also the times that he had held her hand, embraced her, and even kissed her when they defeated Kaguya in the Pentacle Mirror.

Plus, Inuyasha expressed a significant deal of possessiveness when it came to her. Whenever Kouga was around, he was ready to rip the wolf's head off just for holding Kagome's hands. And whenever Kagome spoke to Sango about Hojo, Inuyasha became very, very moody. She liked to think of it this way: he protected her, worried about her, and was jealous whenever other guys came around her, so he had to at least care a little bit, right?

The half demon in question was also submerged in thought. He walked at the head of the group, subconsciously leading them on the safest road. Sometimes it was nice to just sit back and let his demonic instincts take hold and navigate them. He was thinking seriously about the sacred jewel again. He had coveted that little pink jewel for so long, being under the impression that it would solve all of his problems. So far he had witnessed nothing but its destructiveness, and the messy ends that those who tried to use the jewel met. He may be a little dense, but he was not an idiot. He knew that using the jewel, for good or for bad, would end tragically.

Besides all of that, Inuyasha had decided a long time ago that the jewel would not go to him. When had his desires changed? When Kikyo's life was snuffed out like a candle? The first time he realized how much Kagome meant to him; when she cried for him? All he knew was that the beings here with him now were his family through and through. He could no sooner hurt or deceive them than he could himself.

He half smiled to himself as he realized how young and naïve he had been. How often had he dreamed of escaping with the jewel? Simply taking it from his weak human companions and using it to change his life around. He would lay awake at night, dreaming that one day he would have the jewel in his hands and he would wish everything back to the way it was. He would wish that Kikyo was still alive and well and that they were friends once more. He would wish that the bandit Onigumo had died long before Kikyo had the chance to tend his wounds.

Those desires seemed so childish now, so selfish, especially now that he realized how shallow the love between him and Kikyo had been. How easily their trust had been broken, how easily they had turned on one another. Enough for Inuyasha to steal the jewel, and enough for Kikyo to shoot him down, to kill him.

The half demon knew now that no one should use the jewel, ever. Not Sango, not Miroku, or Shippo, or even Kagome. Once they collected all the fragments…well, Inuyasha hoped that they could somehow destroy it. Maybe that is what they could wish for. Or maybe they could simply wish that all the cruelty Naraku had unleashed on the world could be undone, although somehow Inuyasha knew that it could never be that easy.

**XXX**

The sun was in full blaze by midday, its light blaring through the soft underbellies of the green leaves, casting the whole forest in a jade haze. Kagome had finally convinced her body to hold a decent pace, fast enough that Inuyasha didn't complain yet slow enough that her tired legs didn't collapse from beneath her. The earth was peaceful, the shade from the trees making it dark and cool. All the chaotic thoughts in her mind seemed to settle as she simply let herself slip away and enjoy the hike. There was a warm brush of wind on her shoulder and an outburst of birds calling overhead, and she felt even more relaxed than before.

When had she ever felt this relaxed in the present time? In Tokyo there was no nature, no silence, no peace. There were only cell phones and loud cars and people rushing through the streets, rushing through their lives. In the feudal era, every day was a triumph. Each day was a lazy little thing, creeping slowly by to give way to tranquil night. Her life in the past seemed long, if not longer, than her life in the present. No, that wasn't it. Her life here was richer, more excited. Her real life, the one she was born to, hardly compared next to this. For in this world, she'd seen ferocious demons rake up the earth with their raw power. She'd seen heartbreakingly beautiful priestesses rise from the dead to wreak their divine revenge upon the world. She had used her very hands to purify the most corrupt object in the whole of the universe. And she had fallen in love.

This place was amazing. It was good and green and full of amazing creatures and even more amazing people. She had ended up with the best of them, she knew. Miroku, Sango, little Shippo, and Kilala. They meant everything to her. She remembered a day, just one summer ago, when they had all gone swimming in the river. The weather had been perfect. The sun was unbearably hot, and the water deliciously cool. Kagome had brought suits for everyone, even Shippo who got his own pair of water wings. To Kagome's disappointment she found that he didn't need them, but he wore them anyways.

She remembered how puzzled everyone had looked when she had suggested that they all go swimming for fun. In the feudal era, there wasn't much time for fun. Many people spent their entire days breaking their backs just to make a living. But once they had all made it into the water and the splashing and dunking began, there had been no stopping them. They had played all day long, doing chicken fights and laying on the river banks to tan. Miroku had gotten an eyeful of Sango's body, who had slipped on the indecent purple one piece with an emotion akin to horror.

And although Inuyasha would never admit it, he too had gotten his fill of long white legs and subtle curves. If only they could go back to those days. If only the world wasn't on the edge of destruction. Kagome stared at the profiles of her friends and sighed, her heart feeling heavy.

_'I love you guys,' _she thought.

**XXX**

A lone figure stood like a catalyst, his elegant white hair whipping about in the wind. His countenance was stony as he stood beneath an ancient tree with branches so long they seemed to brush the underside of the clouds.

"Bokuseno," came the deep tenor full of authority. "I come seeking your wisdom."

The tree gave a great shudder and the bark and the lichens seemed to melt into the gnarled face of an old man. It took a deep breath, the whole tree expanding, its leaves shaking, before exhaling and stirring up petals on the ground.

"Sesshoumaru," the old tree started, his voice still gravelly from sleep. "Eldest son of Inutaisho. What ails you, Lord of the Western Lands?"

The great dog demon stared into the distance thoughtfully as he phrased his question. "Something bothers this Sesshoumaru, Old Bokuseno. This sinister presence on the wind…what might it be?"

The great tree took a long time in responding as he felt the air and the earth around him and tried to decipher that evil feeling that shook his limbs. He gazed at Sesshoumaru without really seeing him and Sesshoumaru gazed back with some annoyance. The old tree always took ridiculously long to answer him and almost always spoke in riddles. His old face withered in knowledge finally took on life again and he said, "Ah, yes. The evil presence. I'm afraid it is an unspeakable evil, an unholy creation that threatens the very existence of this place. I cannot tell you of what it is, son of Inutaisho. To speak of it in this place would surely curse it."

Sesshoumaru suppressed a growl. Somehow, he knew that Bokuseno would refuse the information he needed. Without a word he whipped around and began to glide away in a silent fury.

"Sesshoumaru," the tree called, his voice booming through the forest. "Is your will to protect greater than your will to destroy, son of Inutaisho?"

The dog demon stared into the face of the tree for a long time, considering his words carefully. "Are you saying that this evil threatens something I care about?"

The tree shuddered again, its branches shaking against the lonely wind. Its face disappeared, leaving it nothing more than an ordinary tree. The dog demon stared coldly at the place where Bokuseno's visage once was. _'These meddlesome friends of my father are becoming a nuisance,' _he thought.

He left the company of the ancient creature, lithely sliding into the saddle of Ah-Un.

'_So it comes for something I hold dear, does it? Then it comes with a death wish.'_

**XXX**

"We ain't stoppin' and that's final!" Inuyasha's bellow resounded through the whole forest, disrupting the peaceful sunset with its volume. He glared hotly down at Kagome who stared just as hotly and defiantly back at him.

"I'm tired, Inuyasha! I don't feel like walking anymore. Besides, the sun will be down soon. We won't be able to see a thing!" Kagome stomped over to a nice chair sized boulder and plopped down, her fingers gripping the edge as if to say 'just try and make me move.'

The half demon fumed and said, "Well maybe if you weren't so weak and pathetic, we wouldn't have to stop every ten minutes to let you rest, Ka-go-me! And who cares if it's dark? If you can't see, then I'll guide you!" Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and turned her nose up at him in a most childish way. The other members of the group watched on with half exasperation and half fascination. Who would win this verbal battle? More than likely it would be Kagome…but sometimes Inuyasha could gain the upper hand if he played his cards right.

Unfortunately it looked like Inuyasha was going to forsake reason and logic and resort to who could yell louder. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all watched as Inuyasha stomped loudly to where Kagome was perched, a growl resounding from his chest.

"That might not be wise, Inuyasha," Miroku said quietly as Sango nodded her head in agreement. The half demon shot them both a withering glare and continued his tirade on Kagome.

"I'm not moving," Kagome warned, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.

"You're moving even if I have to carry you the rest of the way there, wench!" he roared at her, advancing until he was mere inches from her unmoved face. Kagome glared at him a few moments more, knowing full and well that Inuyasha could and would move her unless she talked reason into him. Or she could simply use a certain weapon against him that never failed to work.

She slowly uncrossed her arms, her face falling into a mask of sorrow and fatigue. "Inuyasha," she half whispered. "Please…I am so tired. I just need to rest for a while, and then we can go. Can't I even have that from you?"

The half demon stared at her in horror, half aware that she was tricking him but unable to look away from the pleading in her eyes, the way she batted her lashes at him innocently. He loved it when she said please to him. Kagome was known for being a bit demanding, often getting her way without even having to ask, so it pleased Inuyasha to no end to have her begging him for something. A little tiny and irritating part in his brain told him that it was just the perverted thoughts it stemmed that caused him to love it so. Seeing her sitting there, eye level with the ties of his hakama, and begging him for anything was enough to make him acquiesce without blinking an eye.

"Keh," he scoffed, feigning annoyance. She had melted every irritation away simply by using her feminine charms against him, but he could not resist her. "Fine, but tomorrow we are going to make it to the Mori no Sekiryou if it kills us."

Sango chimed in then, approaching the couple with some measure of caution. "Well, if we are going to be here a while then how about we go bathe in the river, Kagome?" Although Miroku's face instantly lit up in perverted glee, Kagome frowned deeply at her friend's words. Ever since the episode at the hot springs, Kagome felt terrified to go anywhere near a body of water. What if the corpses from before followed her here? What if this time they were able to successfully drown her with their pale hands and depthless eyes?

Inuyasha watched the color drain from Kagome's face, and he felt sad. Kagome had barely slept or eaten since her scare the other day, and she did not seem to be improving at all. And although Inuyasha believed that Kagome had truly seen something, he also believed that if he accompanied her she would be fine. "Don't worry girls," he said, although it was more directed at the young priestess who was so concerned, "I'll stay nearby and watch over you."

"What?" Miroku shouted, a look of absolute despair on his face. "That's not fair, Inuyasha! If you get to go bathe with them in the river then I want to go too!"

Inuyasha growled, annoyance creeping up his spine slowly. "You idiot monk," he murmured dangerously. "I ain't going to bathe with them! I'm just going to stand guard somewhere _nearby_." Miroku didn't look too convinced, but the somber glare he was getting from Sango was enough to quiet him.

"Okay…" Kagome agreed reluctantly, "but we really shouldn't leave _anyone_ behind. Kaede told us to stick together." The group was quiet for a moment as they considered that.

"Well," Inuyasha said, "how about I go with Kagome then, and Sango you can stay here with Miroku and watch over Shippo and Kilala?" Sango was about to protest for she would rather split up and risk death or injury than have to spend a silent and awkward night with Miroku. Their relationship which had always been quite amiable, but now it was strained and tense, full of emotions that couldn't flourish or wither. However, Kagome was right. If they were going to split up it would make a lot more sense to at least have two adults in each party than to leave Miroku with Shippo who unfortunately still had some training to complete before he was a strong ally in battle.

"Okay," the demon slayer said, spreading out her futon and sitting Indian style. Kilala bounced over and curled up in her lap, mewing contentedly to be held by her mistress.

Kagome slid onto Inuyasha's back, her fingernails gripping his shoulders tightly as she tensed in anticipation of their upcoming destination. Inuyasha slyly reached up and slid his clawed hand over hers, careful not to let the others see, and Kagome felt a bit better knowing he would be there to watch over her.

**XXX**

Inuyasha faced the inky blackness of the forest as Kagome undressed, the sound of her clothes dropping to the forest floor making his ears twitch in interest. The young priestess hesitantly slid her foot into the cool water of the river, her fingertips tingling in expectancy. Frozen there like that, one foot in the dark depths of the water while the other stood rooted to safe dry land, Kagome felt fear bubble into her throat again. She could just _feel_ it. There was a presence here other than she and Inuyasha. And after years of training and honing her skills as a priestess, it was never good to ignore it when you felt the spiritual presence of someone else.

"I can't do it, Inuyasha," she murmured, wrenching her foot from the river like it was actually made of flames. "I just know something is going to be down there."

She turned and stared at Inuyasha's back, watching him cross his arms in annoyance. "I came all this way, Kagome, now get in the water. Nothing is gonna hurt you, alright? I am standing right here."

"Yeah, but what if something happens to me and you don't see it because you are looking into the forest? Then what will you do?"

Inuyasha stopped to think about that, feeling a flush creep over his face. Was she suggesting that he turn around and look at her? It sure sounded like that was what she was suggesting. He couldn't fathom what else she could have meant by that statement. "Well…what do you want me to do about that, Kagome?" he said, his voice mildly annoyed but more curious than anything.

"There's nothing you can do. That's my point," she sighed, exasperated. A few moments passed and as nothing happened Kagome began to relax despite the fuzzy feeling of spirits around her. She slid into the water fully and found a place where she could rest against the face of a boulder. The fact that Inuyasha was there to guard her, and even more so her heavy fatigue, allowed her to slip into a not-quite-sleep, the only sleep she had been getting at all since her scare in the hot springs the other day. However, with the cool streams of water caressing her skin invitingly and the warm summer air heavy with the calls of night birds and cicadas, Kagome could feel herself slipping away, and she welcomed it. "Thanks for coming with me, Inuyasha," she murmured, her voice faint yet still loud enough for the half-demon to hear.

"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha sighed. "Just don't go to sleep in there, Kagome."

"'Kay," she responded, though his command hadn't quite registered in her brain that was eagerly shutting itself down after days of unrest. Kagome felt herself slip a little down the smooth surface of the rock and readjusted, letting out a soft little sigh that reassured Inuyasha that she was okay. She slipped again until she was up to her chin in river water, but she was so close to sleep now that it seemed a shame to bother moving herself when she would probably lose her footing again. But before she knew it she was under water and too drunk on sleep to be alarmed.

**There it is, Chapter Five! There might be some inconsistencies coming up in later chapters, due to fact that I am trying hard to improve this story while at the same time following the general outline/story format. Mostly, I will be (in what seems like a very sudden way) introducing the other characters and what is happening with them. These include Kikyo, Sesshoumaru, Kagura, Ayame, Kouga, etc. I know it will seem a little abrupt and I apologize in advance! But otherwise I hope you all enjoyed! Please review and let me know what you think (especially if you read the old version - -I would love to hear how it has improved now that I am a much higher level writer than when I first started).**

**I will update again ASAP! Be looking forward to the next Chapter! Chapter Six: Uncontrollable Urges and Separation.**


	6. Uncontrollable Urges

**Summary:**** After a troubling visit to a village far away, strange and mysterious things begin to happen to Inuyasha and the others. When the disturbing truth is discovered, the group begins a dangerous journey in order to save the life of their friend. Can they escape the sickness?**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Inuyasha or any other related titles or logos.**

**Hello again everybody! Welcome to Chapter Six of 'The Sickness'. Here is another exhausting reminder that this version is the REVISED and REWRITTEN version of the old story. So if you have read it before, I would advise that you go back and reread so that you don't miss anything that has been added/removed/ etc. I would love to hear from you, so don't forget to review and tell me how this story has improved or what improvements I can make! Okie dokie, I am going to stop rambling now and let you read. Thanks!**

**The Sickness**

**Chapter Six: Uncontrollable Urges **

This time, Kagome wasn't sinking. She was floating, peacefully. She opened her eyes and looked around her. No dead bodies this time, although the river seemed to go on infinitely below her like a wide gaping mouth. She'd never seen a river this deep before, but somehow the fog her mind was in didn't allow her to care. The water felt too nice on her bare skin. Everything around her was a dark royal blue with splashes of light aquamarine here and there. It looked magical. A few bubbles escaped her mouth and for a moment she was aware of an acute burning in her lungs due to the absence of air within them. This fact startled her. She hadn't been thinking of it but she supposed she did have to breathe, didn't she?

She turned her eyes upwards to the surface of the water so she could begin her ascent into air, but it appeared so far away suddenly. It was then that Kagome began to feel something not quite right in her heart, something chilling that made her heart skip like a rabbit's beneath the water. Pain began to sink into her bones, winding around her ribcage so full of fire, and she felt as though she would vomit right there under the river. An icy cold stream ran almost lazily past the sensitive skin of her belly and Kagome was finally spurred into action. She kicked, desperately, and flailed, her heavy arms reaching for the pale moon reflected on the surface of the river so hopelessly out of reach. Fear crushed her heart in its stony grip as she writhed uselessly for air.

Her world froze when a cold hard hand clamped around her ankle with a finality that almost stopped her heart beating altogether. It held her for one teasing moment in which Kagome swore she could hear laughter, before yanking with an inhuman might, pulling her into the depths below. She kicked with all her strength, which was slowly diminishing due to her lack of air and disorientation. The hand scarcely moved, instead crawling up to grasp her delicate calf in its steel grip. _'No!'_ she wanted to scream, but when she opened her mouth the water rushed in to silence her.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was sitting serenely on the banks of the river, studiously avoiding the area that he knew Kagome was bathing in. She had been silent for some time now, but he didn't want to disturb her. He knew how tired she was, how much she needed time to relax and recuperate. She began to splash around, probably washing now, and that reassured him that she hadn't fallen asleep in the river. "Finally you get moving," he teased lightly, not really minding how long she'd been taking. She didn't reply, which he felt was odd, but he didn't press her. He readjusted his position on the ground, trying to get comfortable. There was an antsy feeling inside of him, causing a kind of panicked restlessness that he couldn't account for. "Kagome?" he said lightly, afraid to disturb her but too nervous to go without hearing her voice.

That strange, unfamiliar smell floated past his nose then. It smelled of decay, of hatred, of hostility. Inuyasha paused for a moment and the splashing sounds ceased, leaving behind a sinister silence. He leapt from his spot on the ground to the edge of the river bank where he could see Kagome's still form lying like a dead weight on the bottom of the river. Alarmed, he pulled her from the water, his heart pounding as he took in her blue lips, the chalky pallor of her skin. She hung in his arms like rags, unmoving and unspeaking.

The half demon laid her naked body on the grass and tried desperately to remember the 'CPR' Kagome had told him about that summer they'd gone swimming together. Although it felt weird to him, Inuyasha knew the marvels of modern medicine. He placed his clawed hands on her chest, trying to avoid looking at her, and pumped five times. Without hesitation, although he felt it inside, he placed his lips on hers and forced air into her lungs. Her lips were freezing against his as he repeated the process of pumping her chest and breathing for her over and over. It had just started seeming like it wasn't going to work, like he had done something wrong or missed a step, when the young priestess opened her eyes and took a gasping, frantic breath of air like she hadn't believed she would ever taste its sweetness ever again.

After that one gasp of air in which she clutched his shirt desperately, she began crying. It was a harsh sound that frightened Inuyasha. "Kagome…what happened?" he murmured gently into her hair. She trembled in his arms, her nerves still absolutely shot and her body near hypothermic. Inuyasha gently laid her upon the ground with much effort, for she clung to him like an infant, and quickly removed his fire rat kimono to drape around her shaking form.

Once she was covered he pulled her into his lap and tried to soothe her, running his clawed fingertips through her wet hair. "They tried to pull me under," she moaned, which led her into another fit of sobbing. Inuyasha felt that familiar sensation of doubt creeping along his spine, but he couldn't deny that he had caught the scent of decay in the air and had felt _something_ sinister about the area just before he pulled her from the river. Besides, it was too late for doubting. The entire reason they were headed into the mountains to find the wise man was so that he could explain to them exactly what was happening. And although Inuyasha had yet to tell any of his friends about the strange incident he'd had by the well, he was beginning to believe that they needed to know.

Inuyasha held the trembling girl in his arms, staring behind her into the river, straining to see something, anything that he could that he could rip from the water and beat into nothingness. It pained him that he could not help her, could not protect her. If he had not given in to the instinct to check on her at that moment, she may have died right there not ten feet from him. This lead Inuyasha to an important decision. No matter where Kagome went he would not leave her side, not for even a single moment. And he would no longer resist his demonic instincts. Which meant no more stopping no matter how tired his companions were, he would carry them all on his fucking back if he had to.

Kagome began to quiet although her body still shook with the force of her encounter and whimpers still crawled pitifully from her throat. "Inuyasha," she whispered, pressing herself closer to him. She turned a tear stained face up to his and said, "I was so scared. I couldn't call out for you. I thought I was going to die…"

Inuyasha bristled when she said this, a painful and demonic flash of anger racing through him at her words. For the words death and Kagome to even be mentioned in the same sentence was enough to drive him mad. "I will NEVER let anyone hurt you, Kagome," he growled, his eyes bleeding red for the slightest instant. "I will protect you!" With this he trapped the shaken girl into a fierce bear hug, crushing her small frame to his with enough intensity to make her gasp. For the first time she realized how very close they were and how very indecently she was dressed.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered as her cheeks pinked with their proximity. He pulled back to look at her, his eyes still full of determination to protect her from harm. Their lips were so close she could feel his heat radiating against her, causing her mouth to tingle. Inuyasha felt a pull on the very instincts he swore not to disobey and they were telling him to kiss her. No, more than that. They were telling him to ravage her, this girl who drove him crazy with need and even crazier with love. Not willing to break his new laws against refusing his demon nature, the half demon leaned in towards Kagome's lips, ready to kiss her for all he was worth, but a splash in the river startled Kagome and she jumped, breaking their intimate nearness.

"We should probably head back to camp," she said nervously, staring into the dark water behind her.

And that was something his instincts couldn't argue with.

**XXX**

Sango groaned as she watched Inuyasha and Kagome leap away into the forest, leaving her alone with Miroku and Shippo and, of course, Kilala. The silence that hung between them since her proclamation the other day was tense and awkward. She felt horribly, terribly guilty for saying something like that to the man she was so desperately in love with. But there were more important things that needed tending to, and she couldn't properly tend them if she was being distracted by a relationship or lack thereof. The truth was that Sango wasn't fit to love. She was, once upon a time. But Naraku had taken that from her along with everything else she had ever cared about, and she desired his head on a plate. She had to grow strong enough so that one day she could make that dream a reality.

Only by distancing herself from the people she cared about, the people who made her soft, could she do this. And so she quietly busied herself around the campsite: collecting firewood, laying out futons, and polishing her armor for about the hundredth time. Kilala and Shippo were slipping near the fire, curled up together. She kept her mouth set in a hard line and a cold glint in her eyes, not wanting the strength that revenge had given her to fade. If she let that fire burn her alive, she could take Naraku with her. Putting it out with the cool temperance of love would only allow him to continue to take and take from her until there would be nothing left. She was leaning over the camp fire, half-heartedly poking at the flames with a stick when she felt his cool fingers brush the nape of her neck, causing her to pause.

"Sango," he all-but-groaned, his voice full of pleading. She inclined her head towards him in question, afraid to speak lest her voice betray her emotions. "Please…I can help you."

Sango turned to face him now, surprise on her face. Did he know? Had he known all along that her hard façade had all been to distance herself from them? That she had chosen to walk the path of vengeance and sacrifice any semblance of normality? "Miroku…what?" she whispered.

"Please, Sango, please. Don't run from me. Don't leave me alone like this," he pleaded pitifully. He paused to glare at his cursed hand. "I may not have much time left, so please…while I am here, let me love you. Don't put this wall between us. There is still a chance for us, if you'll let me love you."

His eyes were teary as he desperately clutched her pale hands. Her eyes ran over his face, his neck, the top of his robe, and down to the new gauntlet he wore on his arm, that cursed thing she had tried so hard to ignore."Love?" she whispered. "When was love ever an option for me, Miroku? I died that night at Naraku's castle, in Kohaku's arms. They buried us along with my father and the other slayers from the village. I should never have opened my eyes again after that. That was it. My life ended as suddenly as it had begun. The time I have been granted in this world is temporary, I know that. As soon as I take my revenge on him…I will join my family in the afterlife…where I belong."

"Then while we are both here, both alive, give yourself to me. Let me love you. Let yourself love me. It's not too late," Miroku replied in a voice thick with tears.

Sango stared at the man suffering before her. What a tragedy their love had become. How could two people love each other so much when they were destined to be apart? But his words were touching her in a place she had locked away long ago. They were crawling into her heart and ripping it open with their sincerity.

"I…I can't…if I don't focus on destroying Naraku it will give him the chance to-"

"What do you think you can do, Sango?" Miroku shouted, rising to his feet to tower above her. He clenched his fists angrily. "You aren't strong enough to defeat him! No matter how much you train, no matter how much you hate him. Inuyasha will be the one to defeat Naraku, and if he can't do it then no one can! I won't let you kill yourself in the battle to defeat a foe who is past your abilities!"

Sango glared at Miroku from beneath the thick fringe of her bangs. Her eyes were teary, her cheeks flushed with shame as her intentions were exposed between them. And damn it, she knew he was right. She couldn't defeat Naraku. She had known that all along. But she would free Kohaku from his prison, no matter what the cost. She rose shakily to her feet, facing the dark haired man who fumed before her. "I will give my life to him, Miroku. I will give my life to Kohaku. He is my little brother, and I love him, and he deserves nothing less than my sacrifice to save him," she said so low and dark it sent a chill down the monk's back.

Miroku stared at the broken woman before him, and a frustrated tear slipped down his face. He'd lost her. Her torment and anguish had consumed her, and she would give everything to her little brother in a twisted and sick act of love, and then he would be alone in the world. "Don't you love me, Sango?" he asked in a pained whisper, desperate to find some tenderness left in her. The slayer took in a sharp breath, his words cutting through her tough exterior and right to her soft heart. She took a step back and clutched her hands protectively to her chest. _'No…don't ask me that, Miroku. Anything but that…' _she prayed in her mind as he advanced on her.

"Tell me right now that you don't love me. If you say those words I will leave you alone for good."

Sango stared back at him, her eyes wide in shock. What was she to do? She couldn't say she didn't love him. As much as she pretended, she couldn't say it out loud. To tell such a lie…it would be unforgivable. But to admit that she did would only encourage him. It would only make him more determined to save her when she knew in her heart that she couldn't be saved. It would only hurt them both. So she took a step towards him, her eyes sad, and whispered, "I don't love you, Miroku." The monk stared hard at her, his chest rising and falling with painful breaths.

"Liar," he growled, his fists clenched by his side.

Sango opened her mouth to protest, but the familiar sounds of Inuyasha's swift foot falls through the trees reached her ears, and she would rather die than involve him and Kagome in her private affairs with the monk. If her other companions knew of her dark ambitions the way Miroku did then they would all be trying to "help" her, when all she really needed was to grow strong enough to protect her kin from his tragic fate. Inuyasha flew like a crimson blur into the campsite with Kagome clutching his back in the usual way that she traveled with her half-demon companion. Sango narrowed her eyes as she took in the pale and disheveled form of Kagome slowly untangling her limbs from Inuyasha's.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" she asked, momentarily forgetting her discussion with Miroku.

When she didn't respond right away, Inuyasha explained, "Kagome had another encounter with spirits in the river."

**XXX**

Kagura methodically opened and closed her fan, watching it grow from the ornate black bone handle to the bright, festive fabric between every skeleton like finger. A sigh ghosted between her ruby lips. It was a sigh of boredom and frustration. Of useless anger and forced imprisonment. The wind sorceress had been content to sit there on the roof of the castle for the better part of the morning, but the calm scenery embroidered on the seams of her fan were silently mocking her with every click. It was all pinks and greens, full of cherry blossoms and lazy rivers flowing under wooden bridges. She glared hard at the offending piece of cloth as if she could blame it for her predicament, before clicking it shut with a scoff.

Of all the fans she owned she had to pick the one that represented all her dreams and desires even as she sat in the miasma filled cloud that was Naraku's essence. What she would give to escape to a garden, peaceful and serene and free of the evil that plagued her every step. She could imagine herself in a land that beautiful. She knew of such a land, far to the West where the most beautiful creature dwelled in all his magnificence.

'_Sesshoumaru…'_

The silver-haired lord had been an infatuation of hers since their first meeting so long ago. For in him she saw not only her escape, but she saw the picture of perfection. His poise and elegance were something she had strived to achieve since she had begun her miserable existence as a servant of Naraku. It was seeing him that originally made her want to better herself, to break away from the control of that monster of a half-demon. If she could have a fraction of that quiet strength that he exuded…well, her life would be different.

How many days had she sat atop the castle roof, gazing into the Western Lands with a keen longing that kept her up at night and woke her in the mornings? Sesshoumaru had never shown any interest in her, nor any tolerance. But something inside her said that if she went to him she would not be rejected. It had been in his cool gaze when he looked at her, a butterfly trapped in the clutches of a raven. What had she seen there? Pity, disdain, amusement? In any case, the dog demon had decided not to kill her, which he easily could have. And since then their meetings had been cordial, at the very least.

But their meetings, however brief and icy that they were, were the only point of interest her meaningless life of servitude held. And for that, he had earned her admiration…even attraction.

With a firm resolve in her voice she called, "Kanna."

The ghostly white girl emerged from the shadows, her face a blank and emotionless void. "Yes?" she replied in a hollow voice.

"I'm stepping out for a bit of air," she said, grinning at her younger sister. "I will be back before nightfall."

Kanna looked apathetically at Kagura. "Naraku asked you to stay and guard the castle," she murmured.

Kagura scowled at the younger girl. "_Naraku_," she sneered, "is too busy with his newest pet to notice my absence."

Kanna gazed on at the wind sorceress's face and gave an almost imperceptible shrug before melting back into the shadows. Kagura watched her go with a frown on her perfectly painted lips. It annoyed her to no end, the unwavering obedience her sister offered that bastard Naraku. Of course, she knew that Kanna couldn't help it. It was in her very nature to obey. The young girl couldn't feel, therefore she was easily taken over by those who could as their emotions influenced her. Still, it was a disgusting display of loyalty that Kagura couldn't stand to watch.

She stood in a flourish and gently plucked the lone feather from her hair. She knew she would be punished for leaving the castle unguarded, whether anything happened to it or not, but she leapt gracefully onto the feather anyway and began floating West at a speed surprising for…well, for a feather.

A smirk rose on her face as she broke through the barrier of miasma Naraku had erected around the castle. _'Ahh, the temporary taste of freedom,'_ she thought. She knew she was treading dangerous waters heading into Sesshoumaru's domain without the daiyoukai's permission. But she liked to live her life a little on the wild side. After all, flirting with death was all she had to look forward to.

'_He certainly isn't very warm, but his company is stimulating enough,' _she thought with a smile.

It would take her some time to reach his domain, although Naraku's castle was situated close enough that if its location were known the dog demon could be a threat. She laid back on her feather and closed her eyes. Her powers had advanced enough that controlling her favored type of transportation was like second nature to her. As she drifted over the treetops she thought of him, her obsession. What cutting remark would he make to her this time? What disdainful statement would he utter? To her it was all a playful little game. She kept advancing and he kept parrying. But one day, she would have him.

**XXX**

Sesshoumaru watched young Rin strut in front of the mirror, showing off her summer kimono with pride. She was just over eight winters old, and she acted every bit her age. It was beginning to worry him, having Rin live with him in his palace. It had been a decision he'd made not long ago, when he had decided that he no longer wanted to wander the lands. It worried him even more that he couldn't bear to part with her. That one look from her tawny brown eyes could melt him, even when no one else could see it. But a demon court was no place for a young human girl. Most of the youkai and human nobles he dealt with would eat her for breakfast, literally. Not only was it unsafe, but Rin knew little of the proper behaviors of court life, and he did not have the time or patience to teach her. Jaken was about as mannered as his lesser toad brethren, and the only other creature they traveled with was Ah-Un, who unfortunately was just a war dragon. A fine war dragon, but still.

There was only one whom he could think of that could instruct Rin in the ways of a lady of the demon court. Although she was the despicable servant of that vermin, Naraku, she was the most poised female demon he had ever encountered. She held herself with the grace of nobility, although he doubted she had royal blood in her. Kagura, the wind sorceress. She had come to him once, seeking escape from the man who created her. But Sesshoumaru was too important to be bothered with the matters of some lesser demon. However…they now had a way to benefit each other. If Sesshoumaru released Kagura from her bonds, she would be in his debt. She would have no choice but to take Rin under her wing, something he would be most grateful for as he knew little about caring for a young girl-child.

Some might think he was taking it a little too far, hiring a woman like Kagura all to teach Rin to behave properly around youkai lords. But Sesshoumaru had a reputation to keep. It was bad enough that he allowed Rin to live with him and how he indulged her so. For her to sing her silly songs and do her silly dances or call him by her insufferable nicknames while dignitaries from the other territories were visiting would be a catastrophe. Even the slightest abnormality in her behavior and they'd both be the gossip of every kingdom in the country, and with his arm missing he couldn't afford to be discredited.

And the final straw was that he simply couldn't send her away. She was his…his…his Rin. But he knew that she did not fit in to his lifestyle the way she was now, so wild and unabashed. The girl in question was eyeing her new kimono from every angle, her eyes alight with happiness. The kimono had been a gift from her lord, an act of kindness rarely shown and to be remembered. It was pure white with a dark blue obi and the same colored prints of daffodils all over it. She promised herself, she would not get this kimono dirty. She turned her eyes upon her lord and smiled.

"Thank you my lord!" she cried, throwing her tiny arms around his neck. He very slowly reached a clawed hand up to place atop her brown head of hair in a silent 'you're welcome'. Rin basked in the glow of him, the man who had replaced the parents she'd lost, the love she'd so sorely missed, and the childlike happiness she deserved. Her thoughts weren't far from his, either. The great dog demon felt a fierce protectiveness over the girl-child who had suffered so much in her short lifetime, yet continued to shine like the summer sun. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, scarcely himself, the almighty daiyoukai Sesshoumaru, but he loved her. She was his to care for now, until she could care for herself.

He couldn't bring himself to show her many acts of affection. It went against his upbringing to coddle a person, much less a human, but when they were alone he did not mind to share sweet moments like this with her, knowing how happy it made her. She was his faithful servant and vassal and his heart was soft for her, and her alone.

He wondered if Kagura would accept his offer. She reminded him or himself in her stubborn arrogance and haughty pride. It intrigued him, that unwavering courage in the face of even he, the great Sesshoumaru. His threats had never concerned her for she, too, possessed a quiet deadliness about her. Her moves were graceful, accurate, and altogether beautiful, three qualities he could appreciate in a warrior and even in a woman. He admired that she bowed to no one except for Naraku who had a curious hold over her.

He was startled when the exotic scent of her mixed with the noxious poison of Naraku reached his nose. He hadn't expected to see her again until he located the man in the baboon pelt once again. What could she possibly be doing in the Western Lands? On some errand of his? Come to take the other arm, perhaps? He rose from his lounging position amongst the cushions and told Rin in a firm voice to stay there while he investigated. The girl knew when and when not to argue with her lord, so she plopped down in his recently vacated seat and began braiding chains of wildflowers that she'd picked fresh that morning from the garden.

He swept through the long halls of his father's former palace, his fur pelt billowing behind him in the dramatic way that it did. It took him no time at all to reach the palace doors where he promptly exited through them and glided into the courtyard. He looked to the sky, and sure enough there she was on her giant feather, floated towards him with a grace that matched his own. She sat primly atop the downy thing, her hands folded demurely in her lap with ruby eyes fixed calmly on his face. He gazed back, unafraid to stare when she was trespassing in his dominion. She swept a hand through her bangs. It ghosted down across her cheek and landed finally at the corner of her mouth where she chewed thoughtfully on the tip of her delicate finger.

He watched as a slow smirk crept over her face. He couldn't imagine what she would look so smug about, but it mattered little. What mattered was why she had come to his home, a place most creatures, human or demon, never laid eyes upon.

Kagura began her descent towards the ground, gently landing with a little spin just a few yards away from the object of her infatuation. She should have known he would smell her coming a mile away. She began to approach him, unable to keep a flirtatious skip out of her gate as she tip-toed silently towards him on perfect bare feet.

"Sorceress," he said, in a way of greeting and accusation. "Why have you come?"

"What?" she said with pouty ruby lips, "Can't a girl stop by to catch up with old friends?" She was close enough to him now to catch the way his eyes sparkled in the dying sunlight. Distantly she remembered promising Kanna that she would be back by nightfall, but it was hard for her to care when Sesshoumaru stood but a few feet from her.

"I have not the time or desire to play with Naraku's puppets, silly woman," he said smoothly. "Tell me why it is you have come, or be gone."

Kagura wasn't hurt by Sesshoumaru's words, although being called a puppet wasn't on her list of compliments. But this is why she sought out the daiyoukai. His company was so very entertaining. Their little word games proved fun challenges for her, after being stuck in a castle most of her days with Kanna the void and Naraku the crazy lunatic.

"My, my," she said in a tone full of amusement. "It seems that someone has forgotten their hospitality when dealing with guests."

"A servant of Naraku is no guest of mine, Kagura," he said quietly, sliding sharp amber eyes over her face.

"You know as well as I that I am no more his willing servant than you are. However…he can be quite persuasive when the need arises," she explained, the bitterness in her voice hard to hide.

"Then if you are not here of behalf of your Master, then why have you come?" Kagura bit the inside of her lip gently. She had known that seeing Sesshoumaru had been a priority to her, but she hadn't really thought of what to say to him, let alone an excuse for her presence in his lands.

"Just looking for some enjoyable company," she said in a voice less confident than it had started out.

Sesshoumaru stared icily at her. "Do not waste my time, wench. Step foot in my lands uninvited again and I will have to kill you," he half-growled.

Kagura smiled slyly at him and said, "Then why don't you invite me, my lord? It has been all too long since our last meeting."

Sesshoumaru considered her for a moment. He did have things to discuss with her, as it were. Rin was growing older each day, and with things with Naraku settling down somewhat the other demon lords were calling for council. He needed Rin to be ready to face them. He didn't want any harm to befall either of them because the other lords thought he was letting a human girl run wild in his home.

"Fine," he agreed fluidly. "May I escort you to the door?" he asked in a tone that barely concealed his slight smirk at the surprise and alarm on her face.

It was her turn to regard him with some suspicion as she strode airily next to him into his palace. Something wasn't right here, and the self-satisfied smiled on Sesshoumaru's face did little to ease her anxiety. Why did she have a feeling she'd just walked into something stupid?

**Okay, I am going to end this here for two reasons. Firstly, because I am desperate to get SOMETHING to you guys! Second, because I have to go to work in a few minutes and I won't be able to work on this anymore tonight. So, I apologize that it is so short and possibly a little rushed. I am really unhappy with this chapter, but I just got back from a trip to the beach and my friend banned me from using the computer while I was there, although I managed to sneak in some time on it late at night…But regardless, I am sorry about the long wait! As I said before, more and more characters and their situations are going to begin to be introduced, meaning less Kagome and Inuyasha time but more time for some of our other favorite couples! Thanks so much for all who reviewed! More reviews would be appreciated. Ta ta for now!**


	7. The Wilted Lily

**Summary: After a troubling visit to a village far away, strange and mysterious things begin to happen to Inuyasha and the others. When the disturbing truth is discovered, the group begins a dangerous journey in order to save the life of their friend. Can they escape the sickness?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any other related titles or logos.**

**Hello again, lovelies! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter of 'The Sickness'! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, they were all very kind! I am sorry the last chapter was so short and that there wasn't much Inuyasha/Kagome goodness going on, but (if you read the author's note at the bottom) you already know my excuses (however lame they may be!). As for the next chapter, which I hope is exponentially longer than the previous ones, we will be seeing some more familiar faces, but I hope to dish out a good dose of our favorite couple (you know who I am talking about!) I used a lot of parentheses in this intro…(oh well!) Reviews are much appreciated. Enjoy!**

**The Sickness**

**Chapter Seven: The Wilted Lily**

_'Another sleepless night,' _Kagome mused to herself as the sun began to creep steadily over the horizon, ready to wake the world with its light. She rubbed a pale hand over her eyes, trying to erase nightmares and frustrations and days of unrest. The rest of her companions were all strewn about the campsite. Inuyasha was high above them in the branches of a tree, his usual place of resting. Miroku was on the complete opposite of the campfire from Sango and herself, sporting a snoring Shippo. _'Shippo always ends up in his lap somehow,' _Kagome thought with a small smile. And somehow the monk's robes escaped being drenched by the fox kit's copious amounts of drool.

Sango was curled up next to Kagome, with Kilala in between them. Kagome looked down at the slayer with soft eyes. In sleep, she looked so vulnerable, so sad. All night Sango had trembled beside her, whispering things that made Kagome's hair stand on the back of her neck. The young priestess knew her friend was hurting, they all did. But there was something not right in the way that Sango obsessed over the tragedies that had befallen her and the other demon slayers. If she continued on the path she was on now, there wouldn't be much they could do for Sango when the end finally came, especially if it would truly be Kohaku's fate to die. She hoped it didn't come to that.

Knowing that sleep wouldn't come to her and not wanting to sit idly by while the rest of her companions slept, Kagome stood and stretched her stiff muscles and began to pick up little things here and there from the campsite: the remnants of their dinner, the blankets that had gone unused, the tiny kettle she always kept with them to brew water in for ramen. As she did she thought back to last night, trying to suppress the worst of the memory, but failing.

It had happened again. _Again _damn it. The priestess in training was getting a little tired of her visitors' unexpected and unwelcome appearances every time she tried to take a decent bath. It wouldn't be so bad, she supposed, if they weren't trying to _drown her. _Even the drowning wouldn't be so bad, if she only knew why. As far as she knew she hadn't hurt anyone, desecrated any sacred places, touched any possessed objects, and thus she didn't feel deserving of the punishment she was receiving. Last night, when she had recounted the tale to Miroku and Sango while Shippo had slept peacefully within Kilala's giant tails, the monk had suggested that perhaps Kagome was being cursed. After all, it had happened before when Tsubaki, a rival priestess of Kikyo, had put a rather painful death curse upon her.

It was a likely scenario, although she couldn't think immediately of anyone who would want to curse her besides Naraku, who hadn't been seen in months, or Kikyo herself who just seemed to dislike Kagome for reasons obvious and not so obvious. But if Kikyo _had _put a curse on her she doubted that she would still be standing there alive. The dead priestess's powers scarcely had a rival, especially in the matters of the supernatural. All in all, it just didn't add up. So if it wasn't a curse, then the other most logical explanation was ghosts, although the young girl had a feeling that the rest of her companions were all thinking the same thing. Hallucinations.

Kagome's cheeks colored in indignation. She _knew _without a doubt that she wasn't hallucinating. First of all, there was nothing in her system that could be making her hallucinate, unless she was crazy, which she hoped to the gods that she wasn't. Second of all, she was pretty sure that, while frightening, most hallucinations couldn't almost successfully drown you…twice. So -ding, ding, ding- ghosts it is! Although that conclusion was a little crazy in itself, and Inuyasha had said this himself, crazier things had happened to them all on their adventures. Now they just had to find out why. Why it was happening, why only to Kagome, and what were they going to do about it. Because Kagome couldn't stand a life without bathing, she just couldn't do it. It had been hard enough to get her to agree to stay out of the water until they reached the mountains where the wise-man Seiji lived, something Inuyasha had fervently insisted upon.

This being because he didn't trust Sango to protect her as thoroughly as he could, and he couldn't very well bathe _with _her, although she couldn't say that she would mind. For the safety, of course. Because of this new law laid down by Inuyasha with not even a little budging room, Kagome wanted to reach Seiji even faster than they had planned. But she didn't have it in her heart to wake the others while they slept so soundly. Sleep, she knew, was a brief escape from the troubles of the world and of the heart. However, she also knew that it could be a gateway into nightmares much worse than reality, nightmares that stole your fears right out of your body and manifested them into creatures of torment.

She stole a sidelong glance at the slumbering demon slayer and frowned. When she and Inuyasha had come sprinting back into the campsite the night before, the air had been thick with tension and anguish. Kagome could feel it all around her and sense it in the way Inuyasha's shoulders tensed as he looked between the pair. Something had happened, something _was _happening between her beloved friends, and she was determined to find out what. She couldn't let their chance at happiness disappear, not when they were already so close. While she and Inuyasha were doomed to dance around each other for an eternity, Miroku and Sango were almost guaranteed to end up together. Or at least, they had been. What had changed? Did something happen between them, or was she just too caught up in her own problems to notice their slow decline into bitterness?

She was, Kagome suddenly realized. She was so concerned with herself, her school, her family, her relationship with Inuyasha, that she had totally missed the despair that was draining her friends of their love for one another. Or perhaps she was too weary to bother acknowledging Sango's discreet madness and Miroku's embittered longing. She felt ashamed and partly responsible for the collapse of her friends' relationship. If only she had been there for Sango when the grieving sister, daughter, and neighbor had needed a friend to help hold her to the world of reason and sanity, perhaps this never would have happened. She rubbed her hand over her eyes again, this time trying to erase guilt and weariness and misery.

_Oh Kagome, _she thought, _when did you become so selfish?_

She was startled when a warm hand fell on her shoulder. "You makin' a habit out of not sleeping?" Inuyasha asked, as if it were her fault.

She tried not to scowl at him, but failed. "You think I wanted to stay up all night again?"

He shrugged. He was concerned that she had failed to rest yet again, but it was just all the more reason to continue moving, and fast. He moved to go rouse Miroku when he felt Kagome's small hand cup the inside of his elbow.

"Don't wake them up yet, Inuyasha," she said in a hushed voice. "It's just barely past sunrise."

He shook his arm free in a fluid motion and said, a bit defensively, "Wench. We need to keep moving. There'll be plenty of time to sleep when we get there, but for now we gotta move."

Kagome agreed to let Inuyasha wake the others only on the basis that trying to stop him was a wasted effort. He was a stubborn fellow, and he was in an unusual hurry that was quite curious to her. In any case, trying to resist him was completely futile when he got in these moods. It was like he was being controlled by a more basic instinct which meant that it would be unwise to ignore him anyway. That didn't make it any easier to get out of a warm, comfortable – comfortable might be a stretch – bed, as proved by the irritated groan Miroku let out when Inuyasha gently shook his shoulder. She decided to save Inuyasha a gruesome fate and take on the task of waking Sango, who liked mornings even less than the monk.

"Sango," she said softly, placing her hand on the girl's back. "Inuyasha says it's time to get up," she murmured while she shook the slayer gently. If she was going down then he would go down with her. Fortunately, Sango must have been feeling generous and decided to spare them all. She sat up blearily, immediately seeking the comfort of having Hiraikotsu in her hands. She slid it into her lap and proceeded to glare at everyone, daring them to rush her. Thankfully Inuyasha was too busy shaking Shippo awake by his little fox foot to worry about hurrying the lady with the boomerang.

After a few moments of tired silence they kicked it into high gear. They made record time packing up their things, stamping out the already dying fire, and getting back on the path into the mountains. Kagome could tell they were close. The air was getting thinner and chillier as they ascended, and the forest was growing sparse. They would soon reach the cave that Kaede had spoken of, and from there it was pretty much a straight shot into the village. The realization of their proximity had Inuyasha positively bouncing with anticipation. His demonic instincts were leaping about inside him, causing him to walk at breakneck speed.

"Inuyasha," Kagome began to whine. However, the half-demon silenced her with a single look. The message was loud and clear: there would be no bellyaching today. She resisted the urge to cross her arms and stamp the whole way there, but moaning and groaning would only make the trip worse for everyone. _At least they've gotten to sleep the past couple of nights, unlike some people, _she thought moodily.

It was going to be a long day.

**XXX**

Kikyo's sandals shuffled through the tall grass of the meadow, parting it with a temporary imprint as she strode towards the shade. Although the harsh summer sun didn't bother her now in her body made of clay and black magic, the habits she had in her former life were hard to quench. She settled herself amongst the trees and grass and closed a pair of weary brown eyes. The past few nights had been taxing for her. As suddenly as the summer rainstorms she had fallen ill, a curious occurrence considering she wasn't really alive. She felt drained of all energy. It didn't matter how many souls she consumed, her artificial bones ached and her muscles trembled with fatigue.

She placed a cold hand over where her human heart used to be and sighed. Over the past couple of days she would feel an agonizing pain rip through her chest and be overcome with a dizziness that reminded her of dying, as if what was left of her soul was being pulled out. She could barely hold onto it anymore. The only explanation she could come up with was Kagome. Something had to be happening to that girl that was affecting them both. Kagome was the keeper of several parts of Kikyo's soul as well as her own. The parts, however indistinguishable from one another, were still connected across bodies and time. If something happened to Kagome's soul, it would be only natural that the few parts held within Kikyo's clay body would be called back to her so that they could protect her.

But what could be threatening her soul? There were many things threatening her body, and probably a few things threatening her sanity considering she traveled with Inuyasha. But the soul is a sacred thing that is hard to reach and even harder to destroy or corrupt. One of the only things capable of doing it that she knew of would be the Shikon no Tama. But as far as she knew, Kagome hadn't used any jewel shards for purposes good or otherwise. So that left her with little guesses and little time, judging by the strength of each tug on her soul as Kagome unconsciously called it back to her. She supposed it was time to pay Inuyasha and his strange group of friends a visit. If there was something plaguing Kagome it was in turn plaguing her, and she still had unfinished business to attend before she was ready to pass on.

She stood wearily and slung her bow and arrows across a narrow shoulder. It was time to go and see Kaede, perhaps for the last time.

**XXX**

The punishment Kagura received for leaving the castle unguarded in Naraku's absence was worth every last painful squeeze. He stopped just short of killing her this time. It angered him that no matter how much he tormented her he could see and feel through their bond that she was happy, smug almost, and despite his power over the wind sorceress he knew that she was cunning and powerful enough to prove a threat. Her serene smile made him nervous, as much as he hated to admit it. There was scarcely a person who hated him more than Kagura. He knew that one day they would do battle, and someone would die. Considering his hold over her life, he was confident that it would be her. But without that trick up his sleeve he feared that her fury would consume him altogether, especially if she had help from the several other people who hated him.

The wind witch in question was sitting atop the roof of the castle, as usual, trying to recover from the painful retribution that had been delivered to her. It didn't hurt so bad, every time she thought of Lord Sesshoumaru and their conversation the previous night. She closed her eyes and let the memory wash over her again.

_Kagura took a cautious step into the palace that Lord Sesshoumaru called his home. As they walked through the endless halls she expected to see servants milling about, or visiting dignitaries relaxing in the library, or even courtesans sidling up and down the hallways. His home was strangely empty for such a vast estate. Built to house a thousand men and women, it seemed like it was only Sesshoumaru himself, the little toad creature Jaken, and their human pet who resided there. She threw a sidelong glance in the stoic dog demon's direction and frowned. 'What a lonely existence he lives,' she thought. But with a smile she realized that hers was no better._

_They entered a small room in the very back corner of a random hallway, and the first thing Kagura noticed was the little girl-child that Sesshoumaru cared for sitting atop a mountain of pillows braiding wildflowers together in her tiny hands. When she noticed the pair enter she leapt off her perch and bounded towards them with a smile beaming off her face. "Lord Sesshoumaru! Back so soon!" she cried happily. When she saw the wind sorceress at his side, her smile fell altogether. Whether it was because a childlike sense of jealousy or the memory of the time they had kidnapped her, Kagura could sense the human's unease around her._

_"Hello again, Rin," she purred, ruby eyes half-lidded with lazy indifference._

_"Lord Sesshoumaru, why is that lady here?" the little girl demanded, staring at her with open distaste._

_"Rin," he said quietly. "She is our guest." End of discussion. The little girl faithfully obeyed him, but whereas most would have cowered under his tone and stare she merely bowed and skipped back to her pillow structure and resumed braiding._

_'Guest?' Kagura wondered with slight amusement. 'What an honor to be addressed that way by the daiyoukai.'_

_The lord in question indicated a small table near the back of the room with one sweep of his remaining arm, and in moments the two were seated, her legs tucked daintily under her while he slung an arm over his raised knee. For a long moment he did not say anything as he tried to formulate his request without sounding like he was really asking her for something._

_"I assume your wishes have not changed since the time we first met," he finally said after careful consideration. There was an almost bored drawl in his voice that belied his sharply focused eyes on her face._

_"I'm surprised you would even have to ask, my lord," she replied coolly, absently playing with the hem of her kimono. She glanced up at his face just in time to catch a look of slight impatience and quickly amended, "Yes, I still feel the same. Does this mean you have reconsidered?" She couldn't hide the hope from creeping into her voice._

_Silence stretched on between them and Kagura's eyes widened. He hadn't said no. He was still looking at her with calculating amber eyes, gauging her reactions. "You have reconsidered," she all but whispered as her mind danced away in a frenzy of elation and disbelief._

_"It has always been a mutual benefit for the two of us if Naraku should perish," he explained. "I was not keen on teaming up with anyone, especially his underling. But it seems that time has become a delicate matter, and I must have his head sooner rather than later."_

_She frowned at him and replied, "If it has always been beneficial for you to kill Naraku, why the urgency now?"_

_The demon lord didn't answer, but an almost imperceptible glance towards the human girl crawling through a cushion canyon was enough to catch her attention. Had she been a lesser demon the sideways look would have escaped her notice, but she was lucky to have been born with a swift and cunning mind. _

_"You fear for your ward's safety?" she said curiously, although something about that didn't sound quite right._

_If it weren't beneath him to do so, she would have sworn that he scoffed at her inquiry. "Don't insult me, sorceress. I am perfectly capable of protecting her from the likes of Naraku."_

_"Then who is it that you aren't capable of protecting her from?" she asked. 'Don't tell me he has discovered Naraku's new pet,' she thought._

_"When Naraku is dead and gone the demon council will adjourn to gather their bearings. Naturally, I must attend, being the ruler of the Western Lands. After the chaos that man has caused , the other demon lords will be more wary of humans and half-demons that ever before. When word reaches them that this Sesshoumaru has taken one into his care it will be a hard road for her, despite my protection. It would make it easier for her if someone, say a demoness, could instruct her in the ways of proper behavior for a lady of the court."_

_"Forgive me, my lord, but even if you have taken a human into your care, who among them would be stupid enough to challenge your judgment?" she asked._

_"It is that very reason that they will challenge it. Taking in a human girl can only be seen as weakness, whether of heart, body, or mind. Even if I tell them that Tenseiga chose her, it will not be enough."_

_"Pardon me for asking, but if the girl is so much trouble to you then why keep her?" _

_The dog demon shot her a withering glance. "The point remains that if Rin were to be well-versed in our customs and behavior, it would make this transition smoother. It is not totally unheard of for demons to keep humans for a number of reasons. Her presence will be easy enough to explain. But she is a human child, and an uncivilized one at that. If she were to misbehave in front of me and the other demons lords, I would not be able to let it go unpunished."_

_'Which he loathes to do,' Kagura realized. She glanced sidelong at the human girl, humming a tuneless song under her breath. Her missing tooth had finally grown back, the wind demoness noticed._

_"You go to an awful lot of trouble just to find Rin a teacher. For me you must first defeat Naraku. Why not ask another female demon - one who is less likely to give you such troubles?"_

_"You discredit your abilities, Kagura," he said, the barest hint of a smirk tugging his lips. "Besides, how easy do you think it will be to convince a highborn demoness to tutor Rin in the customs of the demon lords and ladies? I need someone who is both desperate enough and someone I know I can trust."_

_"Trust?" Kagura purred, tapping the end of her fan against her ruby lips. "I had no idea you had such a high regard for me, Lord Sesshoumaru."_

_"I trust you not to harm Rin. I trust you not to fail in your duties. I trust you know what would happen if you did," he replied, tapping poisonous claws against the table innocently._

_Kagura met his lazy golden gaze. He had her frozen - an effect only he could produce. Her sharp tongue and wit could conquer almost anyone in a verbal battle, but he often left her speechless. She could feel the power that radiated from every part of him, and it did curious things to her mind and body._

_"Well?" he prompted, snapping her out of her stupor._

_She cleared her throat delicately. "You know what it is I desire most. I would teach ten thousand human girls to behave properly if it meant freedom from Naraku." She did not relish the thought of escaping the servitude of one just to enter the servitude of another. If it were anyone but Sesshoumaru she would refuse. But she knew him to be both capable of giving her what she wanted and of providing her with endless entertainment. _

_Sesshoumaru, too, was pleased despite himself. There were few people he felt amiable with. The other demon lords were tools at times and obstacles at others. His brother and his annoying companions were disgraces. Jaken was merely a servant he tolerated, and Rin was too young to provide him true companionship._

_Indeed, Kagura was one of the few beings who he could speak a fraction more freely with. He felt it easier to jest, easier to smile, and easier to confide in her than any person. He was impressed by her ability and her confidence, and he would lying if he said she wasn't a perfect specimen of female demon. Young, attractive, elegant, and ripe for the taking._

_Of course, he was far to preoccupied with other matters to consider mating anyone, and it would stain his nobility forever if he lowered himself to be with one of Naraku's incarnations. Perhaps if he freed her a relationship could manifest. But until then she would be his servant - one he would have to be careful of. She may need him for now, but that didn't mean she wasn't dangerous still._

_"Then, Kagura. Where is Naraku's castle?"_

**XXX**

It was evening when Kagome, Sango, and Miroku all collapsed in a small clearing reaching for water, food, and bandaids from the first aid kit for their blisters.

"Inuyasha," Sango insisted, "we need a break. We're exhausted."

They'd been walking at break neck speeds all day at the half-demon's insistence. They'd made good progress, but the humans of their group were obviously suffering for it.

"Keh," he responded. "Then I'll carry Kagome on my back and Kilala can carry you three good-for-nothings."

"Hey," Shippo whined. "I'm not good for nothing!"

"Oh yeah?" Inuyasha sneered. "The transform into a balloon or something and carry us through the forest!"

They all knew that Shippo could not carry more than two people for very long at his current level. The fox bristled at the comment and promptly began to gnaw on Inuyasha's sensitive white ears.

While the two of them fought Kagome spread out a blanket and began to wrap Sango's feet with bandages to make the foot-travel more bearable.

"Thanks," the slayer said, wincing when Kagome sprayed some antiseptic on her blister wounds.

"Miroku, you're up next," Kagome said scooting towards him.

"I'll pass, Kagome. Suffering is the path to enlightenment," he reminded her. The statement seemed to provoke a silent response from each person in the group.

Kagome found herself thinking _I really hope so._

**_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX_**

**Hey there everyone! First of all, I would like to say thank you to all who reviewed, it was very much appreciated! I am glad you are enjoying the story. Second of all (and on a completely unrelated note) I would like to say that…I have made Shippo oddly silent in this story. And unfortunately, he will most likely remain that way, besides the odd interjection every now and then. It is not that I don't like Shippo! But there are so many other characters that I have to worry about, many of whom I have yet to even introduce, so there simply isn't time. Besides, Shippo is a pretty simple guy, right? He eats, he sleeps. He loves Pocky. I realize that there is more complexity to him that just that…so if he is absolutely one of your favorite characters and I need to include him more often, just let me know! But otherwise I think that he will have to take the back seat for now.**

**Please review and let me know what you think! I get many hits, but few reviews. And I live off reviews. In fact, I eat them for breakfast! It's the most important meal of the day, you know. Okay…done being weird now. **

**Also, I want to say sorry again for such a long awaited update. I'm terrible. And I also apologize for the abrupt ending. I am about to go to work and I want to update really badly. Enjoy!**


End file.
